like paper dolls and little notes
by Seynee
Summary: It's not that Tenten hates flying. In fact, she kind of likes it. Especially when she gets free cocktails. Especially when she's sitting next to a handsome stranger. Especially when she gets to talk to him. This is going to be good. — Neji, Tenten. AU.
1. of strangers on a plane

**like paper dolls and little notes**

_no one ever tells you that_

_forever feels like home  
sitting all alone inside your head_

—

**one.**

—

It wasn't that Tenten hated flying. In fact, she kind of liked it.

How could she not? Every time she boarded on a plane, she made sure that she upgraded her seat to a Business class seat. That alone was a blessing in itself: satisfying leg space, better cushion for her head, and free cocktails during the flight. They served really good strawberry daiquiri, one of her favorite beverages of all times. The food, while usually bland, wasn't that bad, either—she'd tasted worse; her flatmate couldn't cook to save her life.

At the moment, though, Tenten really wanted to die.

Well, that or slap the obnoxiously flirting airhostess in front of her. Because. Seriously. _Seriously_. Flirting? In front of her? With the man sitting next to her? This blonde-haired, green-eyed, stocking-wearing woman needed to get professional, and she needed to get professional _fast._ Last time she checked, airhostesses didn't flirt—at least not so outrageously that she wanted to barf.

At least he wasn't flirting back. In fact, he looked so bored that he wanted to die right then, too.

As soon as the airhostess walked away, Tenten sneaked a sideway glance to her seatmate. There was no doubt about it; he was the mysterious, silent, dark type. The expression—or rather, the lack thereof—on his face was enough to tell her that. He had long dark hair and silvery white eyes, and the air about him spoke of charming confidence and just the tiniest hint of arrogance.

Before she knew it, she had spoken already. "She was flirting with you, you know."

He turned at her, eyes the color of the very clouds outside the window. "I beg your pardon?"

"She was flirting with you. By making a show of very elegantly serving your cocktail after unceremoniously dumping mine here," Tenten elaborated, a little hurriedly, gesturing to the strawberry daiquiri she had on her small table. "She was trying to show you that… she has your best interests at mind and that you're more important than I am, I guess."

"I see." He looked at her, amused. "And how would you know this?"

"Her body language is a total giveaway," she replied. "I mean, she was supposed to stand here by the aisle, and yet she was _really_ leaning forward, presumably so you would get a whiff of her perfume and so she could talk at a closer proximity to you. If I hadn't moved to the right a little, I would have gotten a really detailed view of the pattern of her undershirt. I'm sure it was checkered."

A smirk tugged the corners of his lips. "This is the first time I met a body language expert."

She smiled at his joke, relieved that she hadn't come off as too aggressively friendly or invading. "I'm not," she admitted. "I just… I minored in Psychology when I was in university. They taught you how to interpret people and all that."

His eyes flickered with curiosity. "Ah."

Noticing the magazine on his lap, she asked, "Business trip?"

"Back from one," he replied, easing into his seat a little. His suit was slick and straight, dark blue in color, and altogether he made a fine image on her eyes. His voice was a pitch lower than she had expected, a smooth baritone that was easy on the ears, too. "How about you?"

"Family trip," she answered, and before she could stop herself, made a face. Embarrassed, pink dusted her cheeks and she laughed nervously. "I mean, I love my family and all that, but big family gatherings are such a hassle, you know? Meeting with certain family members who take pleasure in commenting on unnecessary things… it can really drive you crazy." Her cheeks reddened even more and she cleared her throat, looking right into his eyes. "I'm Tenten, by the way. Pleased to meet you."

"Neji," he returned politely. "Pleasure's mine."

Tenten beamed at him, and Neji took this opportunity to study her. She was rather pretty, the curl of her lips charming. Her hair was tied into two neat buns behind her head, and her large brown eyes were warm and friendly. Her choice of attire was casual and chic, with dark denim jeans and a modest pale blue top. Even from his seat, he registered that she smelled faintly of vanilla.

For some reason, this made him want to talk to her more. "So you have relatives in China."

"Yes! I'm actually half-Chinese, half-Japanese," she explained. "I only began to live in Japan when I entered university, and now I work there."

"That's nice."

"It really is!" she beamed. "How about you? Did you enjoy China at all?"

Slightly surprised, Neji blinked and raised his eyebrows as a form of response. "I… haven't looked around that much, actually."

"I suppose being on a business trip doesn't let you do much sightseeing, huh?" she asked, and when he simply nodded, added, "Yeah, I know how that feels." Here she brightened again. "Well, the next time you fly to China, then."

"I doubt there's any other opportunity for that."

"Why?"

"I just signed off a deal with our only Chinese supplier," he explained, inwardly wondering what he was doing, _sharing_ with a woman he was most likely never going to meet for the second time. But then again, perhaps that was the point. Easing a little, he continued, "If there's a chance for me to fly back to China, then it's most likely not going to be any time soon."

"You can still go on holidays," suggested Tenten, tilting her head a little in such a way that he caught sight of the silver half-moons dangling from her ears.

A smirk curving his lips, he chuckled, his voice low. "I doubt that, too."

She looked at him in dismay. "You don't go on holidays?"

"I hardly get any."

"What kind of a dictator office you work for?" she asked, a note of disapproval in her voice. "You should be allowed to go on holidays!"

"Oh, I am," he chuckled again. "I just… don't. I can't leave my work just like that."

"I see," Tenten nodded in understanding. "Such a pity, though."

"Is it?" he asked, mild amusement in his voice as he raised his eyebrows at her.

She nodded again, this time more vehemently. "It is!"

Almost smiling, Neji leaned back to his chair and started to relax as she went on to tell him about her many trips. The rest of the flight was going to be very interesting. He just knew it.

—

Tenten was humming to herself as she pulled her navy blue trolley case from the conveyor belt and set it on the floor. She was back in Japan, and she was still alive! After almost five days of torture—annoying cousins, meddling aunts and couldn't-care-less parents—she was now free and back in Japan! She looked at her luggage, for a while remembering what she had in it. New spandex suits for Gai and Lee, rice wine for her cousin, make-up for the people at her editor's office… oh, and Sakura would _so_ love the Chinese paper ornament she bought for her.

She looked up, noticed Neji staring at her, and grinned at him.

"Is that all?" he asked, gesturing to her luggage.

"Yes!" she beamed at him proudly. "I'm a light packer. I can use one outfit in ten different ways. It's a very useful skill if you travel a lot, and I kind of do."

"That's certainly handy," he agreed.

She laughed, and then pointed at the tiny black suitcase he was holding. "And _that_'s your luggage?"

"Yes."

"My, you pack even lighter than I do," she commented admiringly.

"I only had to stay one night," he answered, his tone impassive. He opened his mouth to say something else, but his BlackBerry rang right at that exact moment, so he quickly picked it up. "Hanabi?"

"Neji-niisan!" the voice at the other end exclaimed cheerfully. "You've arrived!"

Neji almost smiled. "So it seems."

"Awesome! Onee-san is on the way to pick you up."

"Did she leave the office already?" Neji wondered, glancing at the watch on his wrist. It was only five PM.

"Yeah, she had some things to do earlier on," Hanabi explained. "Well, I'm only calling to tell you that Otou-sama wants you to have dinner with us tonight, if you're available."

He considered this for a while. He _was_ available; he had no actual plans, but he kind of wanted to stay at home and relax, at least for tonight. He couldn't simply say no to Hanabi, though, and knowing that Hinata even went to the extent of picking him up from the airport… Neji sighed in defeat.

Hanabi chirped, "Is that a yes?"

"Yes, Hanabi, I'll be there."

"Great!" There was a muffled squeal and then a dial tone; Hanabi had hung up. Neji shook his head to himself and turned around again, expecting to see Tenten behind him, but much to his chagrin, she was nowhere to be seen. Chastising himself for thinking that she would wait for him, he pocketed his BlackBerry and made his way out.

—

"Tenten! Over here!"

Tenten looked around the crowd and quickly squealed when she saw a familiar face. Grinning, she rushed to the man waiting for her and quickly enveloped him in a tight hug. "Lee!" she exclaimed, "I missed you!"

"I missed you, too!" Lee responded, just as exuberantly. He picked up Tenten's luggage and led her to his shiny new car, putting the luggage in the backseat and grinning when Tenten's jaw dropped. "Spiffy, right?" he said, admiring the car, "Kiba got me a special discount, so I got it for a lower price than I would have if it weren't for him."

"It's gorgeous, Lee," Tenten agreed, sliding into the passenger seat. The dashboard was smooth and slick. In a way, it wasn't exactly what she expected someone like Lee to buy, only because he had a rather… unique taste about things, but thinking about it now, this car really suited him in a good way.

Lee climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine, "So did you have a good trip?"

"Not particularly," Tenten made a face, "Annoying aunts and all that. Meihua-obasan kept telling me that I put on some weight." As he snorted, she punched his arm playfully, "I did _not_ gain weight! Okay, maybe _a little_, but not that much for people to start commenting and asking me about it! It's not the only topic out there to talk about, you know!" Annoyed, she blew her bangs away from her eyes. "Whatever. Well, overall it was okay, I suppose."

He grinned at this. "Did you at least meet someone nice?"

She looked surprised. "How did you know?"

"You had this funny look on your face that implied the springtime of youth!" Lee replied, rather dramatically, his grin widening. "What's he like?"

"He's nice. Kind of _too_ polite, but that's hardly a deal breaker," Tenten relented, grinning back. No one could stay mad at Lee for a long time, not her, and definitely not when he was away so often on martial arts competitions and training that ten out of twelve months he was out of the country. This actually happened to be his last week in Tokyo, too. "He makes good conversation."

"Did you get his number?"

"No," she shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

"Are you sure?" Lee asked teasingly.

"What, do you want me to run back and look frantically for him? He's probably gone home by now."

"That's true," he responded, face falling for a split second before he added, "By the way, Zaku called me."

Straightening up at the mention of her lying, cheating bastard of an ex-boyfriend, Tenten pursed her lips. "Zaku?"

It had been four months since they last met, and they hadn't had any contact since she found out that he was cheating on her for only God knew how long. Their last meeting had been disastrous—she had to fight an internal battle with herself. She was glad that her conscience won; it would have been a waste to throw her favorite Chanel heels to the stupid prick's head.

A head she had loved, unfortunately, although it hurt her to think that she had wasted two years of her precious life on someone like that. Thank god it was over now; she could do without being lied to for the length of their whole relationship.

"Yeah," answered Lee, making a left, "He asked about you."

"Did you tell him that I'd rather die than see him again?" Tenten asked sourly.

"No," he almost laughed, "I'll pass the message next time, though. He's been quite… ah, persistent. I think he wants to get in touch with you again."

"Why? Because Kin dumped him and he has no money and nowhere to go?" she asked, sarcasm dripping from her voice. Kin was the woman Zaku cheated on her with, allegedly his high school sweetheart. Tenten would probably be okay if they were just friends, but the scene that unfolded in front of her had definitely, definitely passed the Just Friends zone, and—God, the _nerve_ of that jerk!

"I don't think he's still with Kin. He said it was a one-night-stand."

"Yes, well, that didn't excuse anything." Tenten sighed. "You should just ignore him. I didn't change my number for nothing. I _seriously_ don't want to get involved with him—or with anyone, for that matter—at the moment."

"Really? Not even with the guy from the plane?" Lee asked, suddenly concerned.

"Not even him," she answered firmly. "I want to focus on my career at the moment."

"Well, your books _have_ been selling really well."

She smiled. "Thanks, Lee."

"That's alright." He looked at her kindly. "So does that mean you're not going to date for a while?"

The glee immediately disappeared from Tenten's face, replaced by a kind of expression that Lee found hard to decipher. "Well," she started, a little hesitantly, "I'm not arrogant enough to say that if I meet someone nice, I won't date him. I'm just saying that… I want to prioritize work, at least for now, you know?"

"Maybe with the right guy, then."

She shrugged. "Maybe with the right guy."

"Well, you _had_ wanted to settle down," he reminded her. Tenten's career as a romance novelist might be really fulfilling—financially, emotionally, psychologically—as far as careers went, but Lee still didn't think that it was the right choice to not give 'all of the other things' a chance. "You have to embrace your youth while possible, Tenten! It doesn't come twice." With his free hand, he clutched her hand and shook it in the air. "You shouldn't give up! Love is waiting for you out there, somewhere, for you to discover it!"

Gleefully, Tenten laughed. "Alright, alright."

"No problem," he nodded at her, his eyes softening. "Well, to brighten your mood, shall we go and eat at your favorite restaurant?"

Tenten grinned. "And get dessert afterwards?"

"Well, you don't really want to put on more weight—" Lee began.

She immediately interrupted with a protest, "Lee!"

"Alright," he laughed. "My treat. Welcome home, Tenten."

Tenten smiled, turning to her side to roll down the window. Smelling the familiar air around her, her smile widened in spite of herself.

It was good to be back.

—

**tbc. **

—

1) This is set in the same universe as **Bad Behavior**, my Sasuke x Sakura story. There'll be a little bit of crossover between the two stories since they happen at roughly the same time, but it shouldn't be unbearable.

2) I have chosen to use Japanese address terms (_oba-san_: Aunt, _nii-san_: older brother, _Onee-san_: older sister, _Otou-sama_: father) for authenticity reasons, but they are probably the only Japanese words you'll find scattered throughout this story. I assure you that I'll stay as close to the English language as possible.

3) The title of this story may have come from Stone Sour's song _Through the Glass_, but the song does not necessarily reflect the story. Take it as you want it! :)


	2. of familiar faces and cute bartenders

**two.**

—

It was Saturday night and Tenten was on the phone.

She had been on the phone for the last twenty minutes, actually, and it was starting to aggravate her. Normally she would hang up, but in this case, she couldn't possibly just do that. If she did, she would never be able to live it down, _her parents_ would never be able to live it down, and she was pretty sure that hanging up wasn't the right way to deal with it.

"… when I was your age, I was already pregnant with my _third_ child!" the woman on the other end was saying, her tone annoyingly, unnecessarily harsh. "Twenty-five is a very agreeable age for marriage, Tenten. It is best that you start looking for your potential spouses now, before that skin catches wrinkles and your eyelids start to droop. You know what they say about wrinkles, don't you?"

"No—um, well, _yes_," Tenten sighed. "I do know a thing or two about wrinkles."

"That's good, my dear! I'm glad your mother taught you well," her caller sounded extremely pleased to hear that. "Listen to me, my dear niece. I know how hard it is to get a husband in this era—"

_Oh, do you_? Tenten thought desperately. Seriously. She loved her family, she really did—even this fire-breathing, patience-eating _dragon_ of an aunt—but her personal life was _supposed_ to be hers and hers alone! No one was supposed to lecture her on this. She was _twenty-five_, for Christ's sake, and while that was a 'very agreeable age for marriage' a thousand years ago, it wasn't that necessary to get married _now_. Couldn't Meihua-yiyi just leave her for _a month_? It had only been two weeks since she got back from China, and already was she drilled with needless conversations on her lack of a boyfriend from her most meddlesome aunt.

"—but at least get a boyfriend, won't you?"

"Oh, Yiyi," she sighed, eyebrows dipping in annoyance. "Look, I really appreciate your concern and I'll think hard about everything you just said, but I really have to go."

To her surprise and utmost relief, Meihua let her off the hook easily this time, hanging up after another two minutes of lecture. Returning her BlackBerry to her handbag, she sighed and turned around, only to half-gasp when she found a familiar face behind the bar.

Neji, for his part, had seen her first. He had been here for about an hour, going over the bar's drinks menu and making sure that everything was being done the way it should be done. The hotel was one of the company's latest projects, and he had to make sure that even the bar was perfect. Once the meeting was over, he decided to spend the rest of the night behind the bar, trying out their new drinks and what-not. After all, it was very assuring to see things working in order right before his eyes.

"Hello," Tenten decided to say, only smiling when she saw a flicker of recognition in his eyes. "I thought you were on a business meeting to China."

Neji's voice was smooth when he spoke. "I was."

"I didn't know bartenders go on business meetings," she said, a hint of careful curiosity in her voice as she looked up at him, quickly adding, "No offense."

"This isn't my day job." He smirked, retrieving something from behind the bar. "Would you like a drink, Tenten-san?"

Tenten's eyes sparkled with growing amusement when she noticed what was in his hands. A cocktail shaker. Of all the occupations he seemed most perfect for, bartending didn't even _make_ the list. "What drinks can you make?"

"Try me."

Leaning forward, she tapped her chin thoughtfully and smiled up at him. "A strawberry daiquiri, then? It's my favorite drink."

As soon as he went to mix her cocktail, she took the opportunity to study him freely. He still made a fine and sophisticated image, even if his choice of dress was not what she would have expected from what little conversation they had that day on the plane. His shirt was white and flawlessly cut, sleeves rolled up just high enough to show some degree of casualness. Comfortable without being ignorant.

"Extra strawberries," he said, setting the cocktail glass in front of her.

"Thank you," she beamed, taking a slow, testing sip. Her smile widened when the familiar taste spread on her tongue. Setting it down, she crossed her legs and rested her chin on the tips of her fingers on the table. "Now, this only makes me curious. What is your day job, Neji-san, if I may know?"

Neji turned around and watched her, rather liking the way the dim, yellow lighting above her played on her features. She still wore her hair the way he first saw her and he guessed that it was her customary, signature hairstyle, but this time there were strands of hair betraying the otherwise neat do, hanging behind the half-moons at her ears. "Do you see that building beside you?"

"Yeah," Tenten nodded after a quick glance. The building behind her was one of the most well-known offices in the city. Although it wasn't that big in terms of physical size, it had one of the best architectural structures she had ever seen—a minimalistic theme, with large glass windows and a dark gray color scheme—and housed one of the most profitable companies around here. If she wasn't mistaken, it belonged to—

"Oh!" she gasped, realization dawning. "I see. You're _Hyuuga_ Neji. You're _that_ Hyuuga Neji."

Neji looked at her expectantly. "_That_ Hyuuga Neji?"

Sheepishly, she bit her lip. "Um, well…"

"What _that_ Hyuuga Neji?"

"You're the one they dub as the man who saved the Hyuuga company in the media," Tenten elaborated, not missing the way his eyes flickered in response to her words. She _had_ heard of him before, of his name and of his position, though—the Hyuuga's was one of the biggest companies around, after all. "The one with the iron hands, the genius. Right?"

Somewhat amused, a smirk tugged the corners of his lips. "So you know who I am."

"Hardly," she sipped her strawberry daiquiri with a flourish. "I _did_ wonder about you when you ranked the seventh in the Most Eligible Bachelors poll _Entertainment Weekly_ did for fun, though." This much was true. She did wonder about him because, hello, every other man listed had at least a picture, while he didnot. "You don't like having your pictures taken, do you?"

"I didn't think my picture was necessary," Neji replied with a dry smile, making a mental note to call one of his contacts in _Entertainment Weekly_ to confirm what the hell happened with his clear refusal to be included in that particular poll.

"Why not?" Tenten asked. "It's a useful marketing tool."

He raised his eyebrows quizzically, "My picture?"

"Well, your face." A mischievous grin curved her lips as she added, almost teasingly. "You're not bad-looking, you know."

This prompted him to smirk again. "Is that what you think?"

"It's what I think," she answered, shrugging as if it wasn't anything special. Her fingers fiddled with the frame of her glass, and another smile spread on her pink lips. "They didn't list bartending as one of your favorite pastimes in the magazine."

"This isn't what I usually do."

"Well, this is pretty damn close to what I normally drink," she commented lightly, bringing the glass to her lips and sipping very slowly, the smile blossoming on her lips reaching up all the way to her eyes. "Is that why you're here? Because bartending seems to be your, um, forte?"

"No. I'm just here to supervise." His chuckle was low, husky. "And a little bit of learning, perhaps."

Tenten looked at him questioningly. "Learning?"

"I want to open a restaurant someday."

"You want to open a restaurant someday," she repeated, surprise clearly evident in her voice. "Couldn't you just open one now?" When he looked at her, she quickly added, "I mean, you practically _own_ the Hyuuga's. I'm pretty sure you guys have enough money to open a restaurant, right?"

Neji looked at her. He didn't know what it was—how they immediately _clicked_ upon meeting, how friendly her smile was, how warm her brown eyes were—but he found her really easy to talk to, and for some reason, rather trusted her.

"Well, my restaurant has nothing to do with the Hyuuga's. At least not with the company," he said. "It was my father's dream before he passed away."

"Ah." Tenten was silent for a while. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "He passed away when I was ten."

She smiled, but said nothing.

"What are _you_ doing here?"

"I got locked out of my apartment," she replied, looking noticeably relieved at the sudden turn of conversation. "Normally I'd call my flatmate and she'll come immediately, but she's on a… well, I guess it's a date. She's on a date tonight."

"I see."

She glanced at the watch on her wrist and sighed deeply, a slight crease forming between her brows. "She's probably going to come home a little late."

He just nodded. "And what about you?"

"Huh?"

"You don't have a date tonight?" Neji asked, meeting her eyes, his gaze unreadable.

Tenten studied his face for a long good while, resting her chin on the edge of her fingers, elbow on the table. Her brown eyes were large and her gaze was curious, but then her growing amusement overtook her and she grinned. "Is this a more subtle way of asking me whether or not I have a boyfriend, Neji-san?"

His face was void from any emotion, but the corners of his lips twitched suspiciously. "I was hoping you wouldn't catch on that."

"Yes, well…" she smiled. "As you can see, I'm—"

"Tenten!" As if on cue, a pink-haired woman suddenly appeared beside her. "I'm sorry for taking so long. God, he was just really _difficult_. And irritating, and so full of himself, and I just—" she halted when she caught on to the atmosphere between the two people in front of her. Sheepishly, she grinned. "Whoops. Sorry. Did I disturb something?"

Tenten laughed and proceeded to the introductions. "Sakura, this is Hyuuga Neji-san. Neji-san, Sakura. She's my flatmate."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Sakura said, blushing just a bit.

Neji took her offered hand and replied, "Pleasure's mine."

"What happened?" Tenten asked. "I thought you were going to take way longer than this."

"I thought so, too," Sakura admitted. "Do you want to go now?"

"I suppose it couldn't hurt," the brunette said thoughtfully, and then turned to Neji. "Well then, I'll see you around, Neji-san. It was nice meeting you again."

"It was nice meeting you again, too," Neji echoed, and watched as she left with Sakura, whispering between the two of them, only stopping when she had to pay. It was a surprise, but his visit to this bar ended up more worthwhile than he originally thought it would be. Hanabi had been relentlessly asking about his lack of friends of the female kind, after all, and perhaps it was time to show her that he wasn't lacking in that department at all.

—

One week later, Neji found himself accompanying Hinata to the bike store—they had come to the store today to get a utility bike for one of the Hyuuga elders, to make it easier for him to run his daily errands—when he saw Tenten again.

At first he had been amused. It seemed to him that their meetings had occurred far too often for him to simply dismiss it as just a mere coincidence. It wasn't like he had time to ponder much about it, anyway, because as soon as he saw her, he remembered what he had failed to do for two times already, remembered that slight irritation he always felt whenever he failed to do something.

Neji grunted. Failure never did sit well with him, and sure as hell he wasn't going to fail this time, but leaving his cousin without saying anything first to her was simply unthinkable. "Hinata."

Hinata looked up and followed Neji's gaze—_oh, a woman!—_and a flash of understanding lit her lavender eyes. "Go on," she urged sweetly. "We're almost done anyway. I'll pay and I'll wait for you in the car, Neji-niisan."

Neji nodded gratefully and made his way across the store. "Tenten."

Looking up, she smiled at him. "Hi," she said, and there was something in her tone that told him that she had seen this coming. "Fancy seeing you here. We seem to knock into each other often, don't we?"

"Yes," he agreed. "What are you doing here?"

"Research." She pulled a face. "You?"

He gestured to the corner of the shop, where Hinata was currently making her payment and conversing with the cashier. "A little bit of business."

"Business, eh?" Tenten followed his gaze and laughed good-naturedly. "I see." 

"I wanted to know if…" he hesitated and immediately felt annoyed at himself. He was _never_ unsure. It was just so out of character that for a moment, he wanted to stab himself with a giant fork and bleed to death. "Well, if you're free this Sunday?"

"Sunday?" she looked apologetic at once. "I'm afraid not."

Mustering up all the courage he still had left from the all-too-quick rejection, Neji muttered, "That's alright."

"I can make it on any other day?" Tenten offered, her smile faltering.

He took this opportunity to study her. The concern in her large brown eyes and the nervous smile on her lips made her even more adorable. It had to be illegal to look like _that_, he thought, almost a little distressed. It just _had_ to be.

"Neji-san?"

He immediately returned to earth. "Yes?"

"I can make it any other day," she suggested, her smile knowing.

"Good," he said. "Will you be fine with Saturday?"

"Saturday's perfect," Tenten assured, her eyes sparkling with mischief and amusement. To his surprise, she reached for the pen in his breast pocket and reached for his hand, penning her phone number on his palm. When she was done, she slipped the pen between his fingers and smiled. "I'll see you then, Neji-san."

With a flourish, she left, and he looked down at his hand. Her handwriting was neat and small, her sevens lined just like his were. _Tenten_. Ten strokes, quick and smooth across the surface of his palm. Ten strokes. Twice heaven.

Neji pocketed his hand and walked out into the sunshine, feeling more contented than he had been in a long, long while.

—

**tbc. **

Because Tenten's half-Chinese, I suppose I should start taking advantage of that part of her heritage. So there you have it.

_Yiyi_ is what you call your mother's younger sister in Mandarin, pronounced "EE". To make it clear, Meihua is Tenten's aunt from her mother's side. I'm actually quite fond of her. I don't have any annoyingly meddling relative, so I can only imagine what it's like to have one. Her name means "beautiful flower", so I'm sure she can be quite sweet later on. Maybe. Maybe not. Anyway, when Tenten speaks to Lee, she uses the Japanese honorific "obasan" to address Meihua, but to her face she uses "Yiyi". Just clarifying!

Thanks for the amazing reviews for the first chapter, you people!


	3. of first dates that aren't awkward

**three.**

—

Tenten was running late.

It was another week after her last meeting with a certain white-eyed Hyuuga in that bicycle store, another week after he finally asked her out. Needless to say, although she _had_ seen it coming, she was kind of ecstatic to the point where she couldn't sleep until hours past midnight, she ended up sleeping in until eleven AM. Thank god it was Saturday, though, and she had time to do whatever she needed to do until the appointed date time, which was 4.50 PM.

Three days ago, Neji called her after she met up with her editor, officially being the light that brightened her day. Her editor Rima was a really, really nice person, but she was strict as hell, especially when deadlines were just around the corner. During those times she became so ruthless that Tenten sometimes felt like giving up. Rima kept the job coming, however, and that meant extra money, so she'd never be able to give _that _up.

And today was the big day.

Tenten caught sight of him standing just by his car as she turned the corner, his BlackBerry to his ear, his expression serious. She picked up her pace and quickly approached him, glad when he noticed her and put away his phone. He was dressed casually today, and nearing him, she noticed that he smelled like soap and aftershave, fresh and clean.

"Hi," she said, thankful that she had chosen her favorite flats today. Running with high heels wasn't exactly her forte. The watch on her wrist showed five pm. "Sorry I'm late."

"That's alright. It's perfect timing," he said, leading her into the cinema. "The movie starts in five minutes."

Here he turned around to look at her, the corners of his lips turning upwards very slightly. Something in his expression made her suspect that he had anticipated this already, and Tenten had to grin. He really was something. As he started to walk again, she reached out her hand and touched his arm lightly.

"Before we go, Neji-san," she said, "I have three little requests, if you're willing to hear me out."

"Sure."

"Thank you," she grinned. "Okay, well… one, no fancy places," she began, stifling the giggle rising in her chest when he raised his eyebrows, and elaborated. "I like fancy places as much as the next person, but from my experience the staff just _stares_ at you, sort of as if they're waiting for you to make a mistake—drop a spoon, spill your soup or something—and I just… I'd rather have dinner somewhere we can actually talk."

Thoughtfully, he nodded. "That makes sense."

"Secondly, since we're in the cinema," she smiled briefly, "Please don't buy me popcorn. I don't… particularly enjoy it." Which was the truth. She wasn't by any means allergic to popcorn, but she rather hated it when the kernels got stuck between her teeth. It was a serious no-go food for dates, especially a _first_ date.

"Noted," he said, now sounding more amused than anything. "And the third one?"

"When—actually, _if_—we get to dinner," Tenten's smile widened, "No paying my meal. We should split the bill. In fact, you can let me pay."

"Let you pay?" Neji asked, suddenly incredulous, as if she had just suggested the most sinful thing in the world. "I don't think—"

"The movie's starting really soon, Neji-san," she interrupted him smoothly, putting a hand on his arm and gently stirring him to the direction of the cinema, "We should get going."

And that was the end of the discussion.

—

In all retrospect, Neji thought that the date went rather well.

Tenten had come ten minutes late, exactly at five as he anticipated. They caught a movie (_Inception_, something along the lines of drama and mystery) and then walked to a rather modest Japanese restaurant near the cinema. As they were eating, they discussed the interesting use of weapons in the movie, and it was during that time he found that Hayashi Tenten could be a real talker when she wanted to be.

"It's a really good gun," she was saying enthusiastically, "A Beretta Px4 Storm, one of the newest models. It's meant to be really useful for different kinds of things—mainly self-defense and law enforcement—but it's very, very flexible to use. It can accommodate different shooting styles, different sizes or types of hands…" she blushed a little, sheepishness working its way to her lovely features, "I'm sorry. You must be bored out of your mind, aren't you? I tend to ramble when it comes to things I… enjoy."

"Quite honestly, I'm actually impressed of your knowledge on weapons," he admitted, half-amused, half-curious, "I would never take you to be the type to interested in battle equipment." That was true, but she had proven herself to be so different from the women he knew countless times already, what with her three requests and all, so perhaps he should get used to her always surprising him.

Her blush deepened adorably. "It doesn't always show." A smile tugged the corners of her lips. "Had we watched a completely different type of movie, say, a really bad one, this wouldn't have happened. You certainly know how to pick them, Neji-san."

"I just thought you'd be more interested in that compared to that other one with vampires," he answered, trying to remember the title of the movie. _Eclipse_, if he wasn't mistaken. Hanabi had mentioned it once or twice over dinner. "Am I to think that I was right?"

"Of course," Tenten smiled, picking up her chopsticks and trying the small piece of fish on the plate in front of her. "Hmm, delicious! This is a nice restaurant, Neji-san. Do you come here often?"

"Occasionally," he replied absently. He'd end up bringing her to Ichiraku's, a Japanese restaurant that was known for its ramen. While it wasn't fancy, the food there was one of the best he had ever tasted and he knew the staff personally, which guaranteed him good service. "And you can call me Neji."

The bun-haired woman raised her eyebrows, amused. "Are we on first name basis now?"

Neji tried to hide his slight chagrin at her question. Everything about her was doing strange things to him—strange, but not quite unpleasant. "I would have thought it to be natural."

Her smile widened even more. "Maybe at the end of the date."

He didn't comment on that, choosing to watch as her face brightened in delight as she began eating. It was very comforting that she hadn't worn anything too classy or over-the-top, as it would have put him off a little. Rather, her choice of dress was very fitting, a modest blue-green top and dark jeans. Casual, but enough that he realized she took care of presenting herself well. On her ears crescent-moons hung, this time unveiled as her hair was neatly tucked behind her ears.

"Where did you get that from?" he found himself asking.

Tenten blinked. "Get what?"

"Your earrings."

A smile blossomed on her lips. "My parents had them custom-made," she admitted. "So far I have half-moons and these crescent-shaped ones. They're going to give me the full-moons when they 'think I'm ready'," she pulled a face, adding, "Each is a set of three."

He raised his eyebrows quizzically.

"I misplace things a lot," she explained, again with that slight blush on her cheeks, "so they took precautions, so if I lose one I'd still have a pair."

"I see." He nodded in amusement. "That's quite… smart."

"You think so?" she laughed. "They gave these to me on my twentieth birthday."

"They're exquisite."

Her eyes softened. "I'm glad you think so."

"Any special story behind it?"

"Not particularly," she said, shrugging. "Just this little thing. My parents first met when the moon was crescent. It's pretty… symbolic. They want me to keep it with me, pass it on to my children, have my children pass it on to _their_ children, and so on."

"So it's a family heirloom."

"In a way, yes." Her smile was affectionate. "So what about you, Neji-san?"

"What about me?"

"What about your family?" Tenten asked. Her voice was soft, and Neji distinctly remembered telling her that his father had passed away.

"Well, you saw my cousin the other day."

"Yes." There was a flicker of recognition in her eyes. "She's really pretty. And you two look alike," she paused, considering her words. "Of course, I'm not saying that _you_'re… pretty. I'm not saying that you're not pretty, either. What I'm trying to say is…" she tossed him a lovely, teasing smile, "As I've said, you're quite the looker."

Neji did a very good job of concealing the slight heat that was creeping up to his face. Instead, he picked up his wine glass and sipped quietly.

As dinner passed and dessert was served—matcha ice cream on top of a sinfully delicious soft cake—they continued talking. She told him that moving to Japan was one of the best decisions she had ever made, although sometimes she missed her family terribly. He told her that his father and Hinata's were twins, which explained their similar physical features. She told him that baking was one of her guilty pleasures, and that whenever she was feeling down, she would just look up a recipe and bake in the middle of the night when her flatmate was asleep.

"What's _yours_?"

"What's my what?" Neji blinked.

"Your guilty pleasure," she said. "Oh, come on. You _must_ have two or three things you enjoyed that you don't like to show people! Like… like _ice cream_," she gestured to her half-empty dessert bowl, "Do you like ice cream?"

"Not particularly."

She tapped on her chin thoughtfully, "Well. What's your favorite pastime then?"

"I have none."

A slight crease started to form between her brows, "Huh. What do you spend most of your time doing?"

"Working," he replied matter-of-factly. "I vaguely recall telling you how busy my work is."

"That's true," she agreed, although there was a smile on her lips. "But if you can make time to meet up with me, I'm sure you can make time to do other things."

At her statement, Neji studied her face, trying to remember if he had time 'to do other things' or not. He couldn't remember the last time he did, so he just shrugged, turning his attention to the cake in front of him. He found it very strange, realizing that he hadn't had any time for himself for as long as he could remember and yet how easily he'd written a meeting with her into his agenda. Perhaps he was a little better at time management than he had originally thought. Or, well, had wanted to meet her more than he planned to—although at this point he'd rather die than entertain that notion.

Neji returned his attention to Tenten, watching as she finished eating the cake. "Excuse me for a minute," he said to her, flashing her an apologetic smile as he retrieved his BlackBerry from his pocket, "I just remembered that I have to go make a call."

"Of course," she smiled brightly. "Let me just get the bill, then."

"I'll do that as well," he offered.

Yes, Hyuuga Neji was usually very good at following rules, and although this was a woman he was very quickly becoming really interested in and would probably fight to keep, he simply couldn't fulfill her third request.

After all, he, too, had his own set of rules.

—

Tenten sighed contentedly as she leaned on the seat, occasionally stealing a glance at the driver who also happened to be her date for the night.

Hyuuga Neji, she decided, was a very, very interesting man.

First, he had wanted to meet her up at 4.50 PM—not five, not four-thirty, but four-_fifty_. It gave them some leeway to be late, gave _her_ some sense of flexibility, and she found that she rather liked that. Secondly, he had been a complete gentleman during the whole date. Not once did he try to touch her during the whole length of the movie even though it was quite dark in the cinema, and not once did his eyes move to less than appropriate places. Instead, he had kept his eyes on her face the whole time, and when he spoke to her, he didn't address her impolitely. He had also been very charming—a very big plus, personally.

And thirdly, he didn't fulfill her third request, and more than anything, this endeared him to her. Tenten did not have a problem paying the bill. It wasn't even really about the bill, or the popcorn, or really the fancy place at all. Those requests were simply for her to find out if he would listen to her, and if he would at least give what she said some thought—and Neji did both.

When they arrived at her apartment complex—he'd insisted on taking her home—Neji put the car on park right in front of the lobby. He kept his eyes glued to the dashboard before he looked at her, meeting her eyes, and finally broke the silence. "Any chance you'll want to go out again sometime soon?"

Tenten smiled at this, liking the honest gruffness that coated his voice. "Let's see," she tapped on her chin thoughtfully, purposely drawing out the silence before her eyes rested on his face, "Well, you passed the test."

Neji raised his eyebrows. "There was a test?"

"Yes," she grinned.

A flicker of curiosity flashed in his eyes before recognition dawned on him. "Ah," he said, "so you would refuse my offer had I agreed to split the bill?"

"Well, not _immediately_, perhaps, but I would like you a little less," she pulled a face sheepishly, "and even lesser if you had made me pay."

"That's a relief," he said.

A smile blossoming on her lips, Tenten nodded. "A second date would be nice."

"Good," Neji said quietly, and then added, like a true gentleman would, "I'll call you."

"Good," she repeated, stifling a giggle. And then, "Are you going to kiss me, Neji?"

He cleared his throat. He was more nervous _now_ than on his _very_ first date years ago, with his high school girlfriend Kin. He didn't know what it was, really, and for some reason, not knowing annoyed him. Perhaps it was the way her dark eyes shone, so bright yet so warm. Or the way she smiled, mischievously teasing without being over the top. Or maybe it was the way she called his name just now, without any honorific and smoothly, with a lilt that was almost familiar—at the end of the date, just like she promised earlier. She was very easy to talk to, also something he found rather surprising because he wasn't the type to open up easily.

It was kind of mortifying, because he had never felt this way before, and certainly not for a woman.

Knowing she wouldn't get a reply from him any time soon, it was Tenten's turn to smirk as she leaned forward, her lips brushing his cheek so quickly he wasn't sure if he wasn't only imagining both that and the faint whiff of vanilla that embraced his senses. She pulled back, stifling a laugh when she noticed his baffled expression.

"Goodnight, Neji," she said, climbing out of the car. Once she was outside she waved goodbye at him, the moonlight softly glimmering from the crescent-moons dangling from her ears, before she finally entered, leaving Neji completely mesmerized.

Scratch that being 'kind of mortifying'. Right now, it was so mortifying that Neji wanted to run for the hills!

—

**tbc.**

—

Thank you for reading!


	4. of kisses that make you tingle all over

**four.**

—

"So what's he like?"

Tenten turned away from the microwave and turned her head to Sakura, knowing whom her housemate was talking about without even having to ask. In the two weeks that they hadn't met, Neji had made sure to call her once every two or three days to make casual conversation, and Sakura had been present in some of their one-hour calls, thus her growing curiosity on Tenten's new 'boyfriend'.

Just like usual times, however, Tenten smiled slightly. "Who are you talking about?"

"The guy you went out with," Sakura replied, not missing a beat as she opened the cupboard to retrieve two bowls and handing them to Tenten. "What's he like? Who is he?"

"Didn't I tell you he's the guy I met at the plane?" Tenten asked back, chuckling when Sakura's eyes widened.

"You met him again?"

"Yeah." Tenten laughed. "We bumped into each other twice afterwards."

"Twice?" Sakura's jaw dropped. "You're kidding me! Isn't that, like, I don't know… fate?"

"Stop getting ahead of yourself, sweetheart." Rolling her eyes at Sakura's display of her hopeless romantic side, Tenten opened the microwave door. Immediately the smell of cheese filled the room. "You know him too. Hyuuga Neji."

Sakura's lips curled into a wicked grin. "He has dreamy eyes."

"Those eyes _are_ quite dreamy," Tenten agreed, grinning. "But talk to him after a while and you'll forget all about that, I swear. It's really not his looks, it's more…" she paused for a moment, searching for the right words and finding none, "I don't know how to quite describe it. Or him."

"Sounds like someone's in _love_."

"Sakura! It's too early to tell," Tenten reprimanded. "Besides, I just got out of a relationship with Zaku."

"Psh, Zaku. Forget about him. The right person will make you want to commit!" Sakura countered, watching as Tenten settled the hot bowl of instant macaroni and cheese on the counter. Tenten had been lazy to cook and Sakura was hopeless with kitchen utensils. "Tenten! You're the one who's a romance novelist here! Do me a favor and don't be such a cynic!"

"I'm not being a cynic. I'm being _realistic_. There's a difference, you see."

Sakura pouted and gave up. "Tell me about your first date, at least. Did you pull the whole three rules thing on him?"

"Yup."

"How did he fare?"

"Better than anyone I've dated before," Tenten answered, quite truthfully. She started dividing the macaroni into the two empty bowls.

"With the bills too?"

"He passed. He excused himself to take a call and paid for our dinner without me knowing."

"Sneaky," Sakura said admiringly.

"Incredibly."

"And did he take you home?"

"He insisted."

"Ah," Sakura grinned blissfully. "You're going on a second date, right?"

"Yep."

"This is new, Tenten! You haven't been dating since Zaku!"

Tenten considered the exclamation. "Well, no," she said slowly, "I suppose I haven't."

Sakura smiled confidently. "I have a feeling Neji's going to be different. Have more faith, hon. Can you see yourself in a lasting relationship with him?"

"We just went out on our first date and that was two weeks ago, and _Christ_, Sakura, no matter how many times you ask me that—differently, each time—my answer is going to be the same. I still don't see myself getting into a committed relationship with anybody. No, not even Neji. Not now."

"Maybe you should make that clear to him. In case he gets the wrong idea."

"Maybe."

"In case he changes your mind."

"In case he changes my mind," Tenten agreed, handing Sakura a bowl of mac and cheese. She was not arrogant enough to say that no, she wouldn't fall for him. Life was annoying like that. Nothing she said right now could secure the future.

Suddenly, her phone shrilled and she made a jump for it. Reading the name beeping back at her on the screen, her lips curved into a small smile and she pressed the green button. Sakura rolled her eyes, muttering something that suspiciously sounded like _traitor_, but Tenten didn't care.

"Hello?"

"Hi," Neji drawled on from the other end.

She put down her spoon. "How did your meeting go?"

"The way it's supposed to."

"That's good."

"Yes." There was a shuffling sound, and when Neji came back, his voice was more relaxed than before. "So I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Do you have any rules for the second date?"

Breaking into a good-natured laugh, Tenten smiled despite herself. "I thought you'd never ask. Why yes, I do have one _tiny_ rule. Or a request, if you prefer."

"Yes?"

"We should do what _you_ want, this time."

"So I get the chance to choose now." The scepticism in his voice was clear.

"I'd love to be surprised."

"Is that a hint?"

"Maybe," she teased. "So. This date. When will it be?"

"Sunday noon, if you're alright with that."

There was a questioning edge to his voice that Tenten approved of and appreciated at the same time. It was quite possibly the way he asked her out without demanding, without immediately assuming that she had _nothing_ planned and that if she had, she'd cancel it for him.

"Sunday is fine," she told him. "I'll talk to you later, Neji. Sakura's glaring at me and I don't think I'll make it out alive this time."

He chuckled good-naturedly. "Goodnight."

"Night," she replied in a singsong voice and pressed the red button on her phone, returning it to the counter and taking her place beside Sakura. "What?"

"Your face."

"What about my face?" Tenten demanded.

"Nothing." In response, Sakura smiled as if she knew something Tenten would _never_ dream of.

Miffed, she huffed and returned to eating her dinner.

—

For her second date with Neji, Tenten opted for a more feminine-but-casual look: a simple sundress, completed with her yellow wedges and her crescent-moon earrings. The result was very successful as far as she could tell. While Neji wasn't openly admiring or ogling her—he was far too gentlemanly and bless his heart, _uptight_ to do that—the appreciative, pleasantly surprised glance he laid on her when he picked her up gave him away.

He certainly had a penchant for surprises, Tenten decided as Neji parked the car outside a dramatic-looking house. He hadn't told her where they were going and she hadn't asked, but this house was definitely unique. While it was minimalistic to a certain extent, the soft beige walls had a more Mediterranean feel to it.

"Where are we?" she asked, after they both climbed out of the car and Neji rang the bell.

He smirked. "You'll see."

A man walked out of the house, with the most curious tattoo on his forehead and blazing red hair that Tenten, strangely though not very uncharacteristically, wanted to ruffle. "Neji," he greeted as he opened the gates for them.

"Gaara," Neji returned evenly. "This is Tenten. Tenten, this is Gaara. He's a friend and also an architect."

She extended her hand to grip Gaara's in a firm handshake, and then smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Gaara-san."

"Pleasure's mine," Gaara returned tonelessly, although the corners of his lips curled upwards slightly. He turned to Neji. "I assume you want the keys today?"

"Yes, I didn't mean to bother you on your day off—I'll return them at the end of the day."

"No worries," Gaara walked up the steps, motioning for them to follow. "You can return it to me tomorrow. There is no rush."

Neji simply nodded. Gaara disappeared behind a door, leaving the two of them in the hall. Tenten took this opportunity to look around the house, admiring the painted ceiling and the circular staircase.

"It's a beautiful house."

"It is," Neji agreed. "Gaara designed his own house. We're going to see some more of his work, actually."

"Oh! That's very nice," Tenten said. "He seems to trust you."

"We go way back."

"How far back?"

"Childhood," Neji replied, dryly. "He was one of my playmates."

"Aw," she smiled. "I wish I had something like that. Is he your best friend?"

At the question, the Hyuuga angled his head and a soft, amused chuckle escaped his lips. "That's not the term I would use."

"Right," Tenten made a face. "It's too _feminine _to have a best friend."

Neji was about to protest when Gaara walked into the room once more, his footsteps light on the wooden floor though the keys in his hand weren't. He gave them to Neji wordlessly and Neji muttered a quick word of gratitude to him.

"Painting the ceiling is a great idea, Gaara-san," Tenten chirped innocently, giving the architect a bright smile, "If I didn't live in a flat I'd have my ceilings painted!"

Gaara's eyes softened at her words, "Thank you."

"No chance you can paint my ceilings for a discount, huh?" she joked.

"We can work out a deal," Gaara replied, and she blinked. She hadn't thought he'd take her seriously, although she _would_ love to have her ceilings painted. It sounded nice to have something nice to look at last thing before she fell asleep, every night. "Especially seeing that you're good friends with Neji."

Tenten laughed. "Thank you. I'll consider it."

The architect nodded, and things fell silent. Before it stretched out uncomfortably long, Neji cleared his throat, "We'll be going now then, Gaara. Thank you for the keys."

"Enjoy," Gaara responded, opening the door for them.

Tenten smiled and waved at him as Neji ushered her outside the gates and into their car. This time they only drove for several minutes before he stopped and parked outside of a small, modern-looking white house. Neji opened the door, Tenten admired the insides of the house, and they drove to another house. The pattern repeated itself until they stopped at what would be their sixth house.

"Neji," she started, turning from the flower painting on the wall, "Can I ask you something?"

The Hyuuga was intently examining the map he retrieved out of nowhere. "Sure."

"What, exactly, are we doing?"

At her question, he looked up to meet her eyes, and then broke into a small smile. "That's right. I haven't told you anything, have I?"

"Well, you've told me _some_," she clarified, "but nothing about houses. Why are we looking at houses? Are you looking to buy one?"

"No, no, nothing like that," he responded, amusement dancing in his eyes as he folded the map neatly, ends meeting ends. "I told you I want to open my own restaurant, didn't I?"

"Yeah," Tenten furrowed her brows, not getting it.

"I've decided to finally open one."

Her eyes widened and she clapped her hands in delight. "That's wonderful!" she enthused, and then frowned, "Wait, that doesn't explain our looking at houses."

Neji laughed quietly, his voice a pleasantly deep baritone. "Gaara will be helping me build it based on any of his existing models," he explained. "I just wanted… well, to see if _you_'d like anything."

There was a boyishly charming expression on his face that was almost, _almost_ shy, and a giggle escaped her lips. "You're very sweet," she said, reaching for his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze, "I really appreciate it, Neji, thank you."

Keeping his face straight, he said, "No problem."

She smiled despite his response and looked around the house. This one happened to have a very country-like feeling to it, what with its wooden staircases and floors and walls. "So what kind of restaurant are you thinking of?"

"Italian. That was my father's favorite cuisine."

"This is rather Western," she commented, and then tapped on her chin lightly, "I suppose the third house we looked at, the one with chandeliers and brick walls, is most fitting. The garden view is beautiful, too, if you're thinking of a coffeehouse-like restaurant…" she trailed off thoughtfully, "I can actually imagine it! Dim lighting and archways and waitresses bringing dishes on white porcelain plates…"

Neji gave her an odd look. "Really?"

"Yes! And you can have Italian flags hung on the walls. They often do that in authentic Italian restaurants. And have pictures of Italian soccer players," she made a face, "Unless, you know, you want to give it your own touch. Like I think you should. But hey, your father must have had wonderful tastes. I _love_ Italian food."

"He did," he said, fondness in his eyes. "He wanted to build an Italian restaurant from scratch somewhere in the middle of the city—a quiet, low-profile place in which everyone can come to relax and enjoy good food."

Tenten smiled. "You're very fond of your dad."

"Yes."

"Good," her smile widened. "I am, too. He sounds like a great guy, and he _must_ have been one, if he had you," she grasped his hand and gave him another squeeze. "It's a lovely idea, and I think _you_'re lovely for wanting to grant his wish."

She didn't miss the uncertainty fleeting in those colorless eyes, the way his grip slackened around her fingers.

"It doesn't have to only be a wish, Neji—you can make this restaurant _real_," she added, voice stronger, "You can make this wish come true."

Nothing still.

She smiled and stood on her tiptoe, brushing a soft, featherlight kiss on the bottom of his cheek, and then whispered, "I trust you."

It was then that he finally, finally turned to look at her in the eye, and smiled.

—

It was 8 PM when Neji finally drove his car onto the parking grounds of Tenten's apartment. A few beats of silence passed before he looked at her ruefully, and she asked, "What?"

"I'm sorry."

"Huh?" she blinked. That was unexpected.

"I'm sorry that I took you to look at houses like that," he frowned, looking as if it physically pained him to blurt out such words, "I didn't think it would take that long, and—"

"I had fun, don't worry," Tenten interrupted, smiling. "It was interesting to look at all those different places."

He frowned, still looking unconvinced.

"Neji, it was time well spent," she said, grinning, "I had _fun_. Honestly, it surprised me—in a good way."

He looked at her.

"I promise," she assured.

"Good."

"Good," she smiled, half-teasingly, "It was a great date, I had lots of fun, and yes, Neji, I'd love to go out with you again."

There was a twinkle in his eyes that she rarely saw as he said, "I was about to ask."

"Thought I'd save you the trouble," Tenten shrugged, smiling mischievously. "Did _you_ have fun?"

"Yes," he answered simply.

"The way you were frowning mere seconds ago, you almost freaked me out."

His laughter was quiet and pleasant into the night, and she smiled despite herself. God, Hyuuga Neji was really quite something. He was fun, he was respectful, polite, a complete gentleman without being sexist, and he was _gorgeous_—the kind that she couldn't take her eyes off if she didn't try so hard to maintain a level of dignity and pride. She pursed her lips and reprimanded herself inwardly. Sure, she could _look_ at him. She didn't have to stare! Spending more time with him was making her lose control of all of the resolutions she had told herself to make when she broke up with her asshole of an ex-boyfriend. That included no staring, no being fooled, no letting anyone walk on her, no—

"Tenten."

She looked up immediately, a faint shade of pink spreading across her cheeks like spilled tea. Thankfully, it was dark in the car, else he would've seen it and she wasn't sure how to explain it to herself. His eyes met hers, and the way he was looking at her made her feel like a giddy, inexperienced school girl on a first date, and she _should_ have hated it, except she didn't, and that should drive her mad, except it _didn't_, and it was all very confusing and annoying and oh—

Amusement danced in his eyes. "You're staring."

"Y-yeah?"

"Yeah," he said, reaching out to cup her chin with his fingers, "It's funny."

She met his gaze squarely, evenly, not backing down. "Say that again," she dared him.

"It's funny," he said, and then added, "_You_'re funny."

"I'll take it as a compliment."

"I mean it as a compliment," he agreed, and then captured her lips in a kiss, not giving her any chance to bite back a comeback.

Almost reflexively she pressed her hands to his chest as she angled her head to deepen the kiss, getting as close as physically possible to him. If their proximity was doing strange but not completely unwelcome things to her head, the kiss successfully robbed her of any coherent thought and she felt herself melting into a puddle of goo. When he pulled away, it took every inch of her willpower to keep herself from groaning in disappointment. The insides of her mouth tingled, and something in her heart fluttered when she caught his eyes.

She was _not_ going to lose.

Picking up her cool, she smiled at him, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach. "Good night, Neji."

She didn't give him any chance to reply as she climbed out of the car smoothly, and she didn't look back as she made her way to her apartment lobby. And if her steps felt lighter than they ever were, it was because of the head rush from standing up too quickly.

It had nothing to do with the kiss, and especially nothing to do with him—nothing at all.

—

**tbc. **

—

Thank you for reading!


	5. of eager cousins and going away plans

**five.**

For **Karen**, again, because she owns my soul and she's beautiful and she makes my _days_. Yes, that's plural.

—

Something was weird.

Hyuuga Hinata angled her head and watched, silently, thoughtfully, as her cousin peruse the jewelry on display. She was almost, almost sure that there was nothing to be worried about. Neji was Neji, after all, and if there were something that _needed_ to be talked about, he would of course bring it forth to her attention. After all, they had known each other their whole lives, and they were practically there to watch every single thing that happened to the other, so it was simply assumed that she'd trust him with her life and vice versa. And that sometimes, she knew him better than himself, just as he knew her better than herself.

Still. It wouldn't explain why he was so _ready_ to accompany her and Hanabi go to the mall today. She might not always know what was up with her cousin, but one thing Hinata was very, very certain about: Hyuuga Neji certainly did _not_ like shopping.

As if she could read her sister's thoughts, Hanabi voiced it in a loud whisper: "Something is weird with Neji-niisan."

Hinata nodded in agreement, still keeping her eyes intent on the male Hyuuga. Neji was moving on to look at the second shelf, now, one of diamond pendants and long silver chains. Hyuuga Neji also did _not_ have any penchant for jewelry, always leaving it up to her if they needed to buy a gift for someone and it had to be an accessory. Of course she didn't mind, but looking at him today, Hinata was almost sure that she should _not_ have agreed to be relied on. Clearly he was comfortable looking at jewelry himself. In fact, he looked so engrossed in it that he almost looked _pleased_. Hinata watched, half in fear, half in fascination, as a smirk spread upon Neji's lips, his eyes zeroing on a particular object under the glass display.

Hanabi, meanwhile, couldn't believe her eyes. "Something is _weird_ with Neji-niisan."

"I know," Hinata whispered back.

"Should we ask?" Hanabi wondered aloud, "It's a little creepy, to be honest. He almost looks like—oh, Jesus Christ, he almost looks like he's in _love_!"

The way Hanabi said it, it was almost like Neji falling in love was the weirdest thing that could ever happen on earth. Hinata didn't blame her sister. Neji hadn't been with a woman in two years, and the last time he had been in a serious relationship was a little after college. But then Hinata remembered the woman in the bike shop, the cheerful, charming woman for whom Neji left her to talk to.

Could it be, she wondered? Could it be that Neji _was_ actually in love?

"What's he buying?" Hanabi suddenly grabbed her sister's arm in a tight grip that Hinata flinched a little, unused to the sudden pressure. Hanabi, however, was too focused on their male cousin to notice. "He's buying something! What is he buying? Is it a necklace? Oh my God—" she gasped, looking at Hinata in horror, "Don't tell me it's a _diamond ring_!"

"Um," Hinata looked worried at Hanabi's theatrics, rubbing her arm cautiously, "I'm sure it's not a diamond ring—"

"Hinata-neechan," Hanabi cut in, looking at Hinata intensely, "Does Neji-niisan have a _girlfriend_?"

"Uh—"

"He has one, hasn't he?" Hanabi put her hands together and leaned forward conspiratorially. "Oh my _god_, he does have one, doesn't he! And you've met her! Why didn't you tell me?"

Automatically, Hinata brought her hands to her face, wondering inwardly if she really was that transparent or if Hanabi actually has psychic powers. "I… I don't know, Hanabi," she mumbled. "I haven't actually _met_ anyone… I've only seen her once, and I don't even know if she's his girlfriend. He never said anything about it."

"No, but Neji-niisan doesn't share," Hanabi said, crossing her arms over her chest as she tapped her foot, looking thoughtful. "Unless we force it out of him. I think we should. I want to know."

Hinata shook her head. "If he hasn't said anything yet, he probably isn't ready to share."

"Don't you _want_ to know?" Hanabi demanded.

"Well—"

"Want to know about what, Hanabi?" Neji interrupted, suddenly appearing behind the girl. Hanabi whirled around, gasping, and he reached out a hand to steady the eighteen-year-old. Raising his eyebrows, he repeated, "Want to know about what?"

"Nothing," Hanabi said, stepping away out of his reach and behind Hinata, as her older sister shook her head in distress. Her eyes narrowed to the elegant cyan blue bag from Neji's fingers, 'Tiffany & Co' emblazoned in fine print across the smooth surface. "What's _that_, Neji-niisan?"

"A gift."

To his credit, Neji made no movement to try to hide the bag from Hanabi. The girl pounced forward and took the bag from him, fishing out the small, velvet box from it and opening it. She gasped dramatically, her jaw dropping, and Hinata took this moment to sneak a glance at the shining piece of jewelry, as well. Her reaction was nowhere as exaggerated as Hanabi's, but her eyes widened slightly as she held a questioning gaze to Neji's. If it were only a silver crescent moon-shaped pendant, Hinata wouldn't have been so taken aback. It was rather the small diamond stud—glittering brightly, hanging on the brink of the moon—that surprised her.

"For who?" Hanabi asked, unable to stop herself.

"Someone I know," Neji replied vaguely.

Hinata looked at the pendant, and then at her cousin, almost appraisingly. "This is very pretty."

"Yeah," Hanabi agreed, studying the silver object, "It is." She frowned and closed the box, returning it into the bag and then to Neji. "Okay, I'm sorry, but I _have_ to ask. It's _killing_ me, Neji-nii, I'm dying to know—"

"Hanabi," Hinata cut in, but her warning went unheeded.

"—do you have a girlfriend?"

Neji raised his eyebrows at the blunt question, almost amused. He _had_ known that looking for Tenten's birthday present would be garner unnecessary attention from his cousins, but it was a rather pressing matter. Her birthday was just around the corner—this Sunday, about ten days from now—and he had _no_ idea what to give to her. It had been four months since they started going out, for the lack of a better word, and he wanted to give her something special. Therefore, continuing on the moon theme, he opted to give her jewelry. _Pretty_ jewelry. And hope that she wouldn't be too disappointed.

"Neji-niisan?" Hanabi put her hands on her hips.

"I suppose you could say that," Neji allowed after a moment of silence.

At his response, Hanabi squealed, and a small, sweet smile played on Hinata's lips.

"Who is she?" Hanabi asked quickly, excitement flushing her cheeks a bright red, "Do I know her? Have I met her before? Oh! Can we meet her?"

In true Hyuuga fashion, Hinata nudged her sister, and like an obedient doll, Hanabi rearranged her features. She looked at Neji more seriously now, and Neji felt a simple fondness for his cousins. In a matter of years, Hanabi would hopefully be able to fully control her facial features, an ability that was practically ingrained into every Hyuuga's DNA, but not her.

"You don't know her," Neji replied curtly, deciding that he should just get it over it. It was only a matter of time, after all. "And… no. You can't meet her yet."

Hinata regarded her cousin thoughtfully. "Have _I_ seen her before?"

"No—yes."

"At the bike store?" she questioned.

Neji looked almost annoyed. "Yes."

"She is very pretty," Hinata offered sweetly, "And she seems like a lovely person."

"She is," Neji admitted grudgingly, and there was an almost imperceptible blush on his face that Hinata delighted in.

"You've met her before?" Hanabi looked frustrated. "This is so unfair! How come _I_'m the only one who gets to know nothing?"

"In due time, Hanabi," Hinata reached up a hand to squeeze her sister's arm, and turned her attention to Neji, a smile spreading on her lips in an almost morbid fascination that was decidedly un-Hinata-like. "In due time. Isn't that right, Neji-niisan?"

Neji raised his eyebrows. Hinata very, very rarely asked him for anything, and whenever she did it was almost impossible to say no. Furthermore, the smile on her face was enough to tell him that it was _not_ a question—it was an _order_. He grunted, chagrined, but nodded his head all the same, agreeing, "In due time."

Hanabi squealed loudly, clapping her hands in glee as she linked arms with her sister, and as Neji watched them whisper between themselves with careful, hooded eyes, he almost instantly regretted it.

What had he gotten himself into?

—

When he told Tenten about his cousins' fascination about her, several days later, she laughed to his face and said, "Alright."

"Alright?" he responded, almost distressed, "Alright? Is that all you have to say about this matter?"

"Yes," she nodded lazily, propping herself up from the couch with her elbow, "Of course. Alright. If your cousins want to meet me, then they shall. I want to meet them too."

Neji pondered on her dismissive attitude sulkily as he sat on the floor, back pressed against the couch she was lying on. She gave him a playful shove on his shoulder, letting her fingers trail on his cheek for longer than necessary. When she withdrew her hand to help herself to the grapes in the fruit bowl, he caught her fingers and didn't let go, instead turning around to face her.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked finally.

"About meeting your cousins?" she retorted, puzzled. "Yeah, of course. Why not?"

The Hyuuga looked at her carefully. "You're meeting my cousins."

"It _is_ bound to happen," Tenten agreed, her eyebrows drawing together in confusion. "Why are you so surprised?"

In all honesty, she saw no reason for Neji to be so distraught over this, especially because she _agreed_. _Unless_… she bit her lip. Unless Neji was worried _for_ her because of what she told him, that she wasn't sure she was ready to be in a serious relationship, that night after their third date. He had been surprisingly understand with that, saying that they did _not_ have to "think about the future" or anything like that, and that he was fine with casual dating as long as she was fine with it—which, of course, was more than she had expected. She had assumed that he would break it off right then and there, but he hadn't, and she couldn't have been more thankful to him.

Then four months had passed in the blink of an eye and she had been enjoying herself way, _way_ more than she originally thought she would, but they hadn't talked about it again, and it was possible he still assumed she didn't want to be too serious. Meeting any member of his family was like bringing the whole relationship onto a whole new level, and Neji, being Neji, of course thought that she wouldn't be fine with it.

Now that she was thinking about it, she should probably tell him that.

"I'm fine with meeting your cousins, Neji," she told him, squeezing his hand. "I promise."

"You're not forcing yourself or anything?"

"Of course not," she said, moving to a sitting position as she dropped onto the floor beside him, pressing her back to his side and laying her head on his shoulder. "Honest, I'd _like_ to meet them. They seem really nice."

Neji sighed, but didn't press further. "Well, you've seen Hinata before."

"Ah, yes," Tenten nodded, recalling to that moment at the bike shop, "She's very pretty. Kind of shy-looking, but very pretty. I like her dress."

"I don't remember what she wore that day," he frowned.

"Trust me, you're not supposed to," she grinned and turned her head to him. "_I_'d like to be the girl in this relationship, thank you very much."

"Of course."

"So," she ran her hand up his arm, her fingertips fluttering coolly on his skin, "Tell me about your cousins. Tell me about Hanabi. Do I have to be worried about anything?"

"Hanabi will probably bombard you with weird questions," Neji answered dryly, "She… she's very loud."

"Is she the one in her last year of high school?"

He raised his eyebrows, surprised that she had remembered that one tiny detail. "Yes. How did you know?"

"You mentioned it before," she smiled, looking up to meet his gaze, "I just happen to remember."

A few moments of comfortable silence passed between them before Neji turned to look at Tenten. She was close enough for him to count her eyelashes, and he leaned forward, brushing a soft, lazy kiss on the top of her head.

"So, about your birthday," he began uncertainly.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have anything planned?"

She shook her head and laughed. "Not really. Why? Do _you_ have anything planned for me?"

"Maybe," he allowed. "How does a weekend away from the city sound to you?"

Tenten looked at him, but then her surprise melted into an almost excited expression. "Perfect, unless you're just kidding. Are you?"

"Not if you really want to."

"Well, I _really_ want to," she admitted. "But what about your work?"

"It's your birthday," he shrugged. "And it's on the weekend, anyway."

"Says the man who _never_ takes holidays," she looked at him disbelievingly. "Don't you kid me, Neji. I know how busy you are. I still remember you telling me that your work does not give you room for any break—"

"Do you remember _everything_ I said?" he interrupted her, mildly amused.

Her face flushed a pretty shade of pink at this, and she frowned, "That is so _not_ the point, and don't you even try to distract me! Are you really going to abandon your work like that?"

He gave her a real smile, and her heart fluttered inside her chest. She _still_ hadn't gotten used to _this_, this one weapon he had to make her go weak in the knees. The thing was, Neji very, very rarely really _smiled_, and when he did it made her powerless. She hated it, and loved it at the same time. It was such a dilemma.

"It's your birthday," he repeated, "And it _is_ on the weekend, so I won't actually be abandoning any work."

She laughed at him, "You're unbelievable. What will your uncle say if he knows you're slacking off?"

"It's for a good cause," he smirked at her, arms going around her slim waist as he pulled her onto his lap, dropping a lazy kiss on the back of her neck. "He'd understand."

And just like that, there was no more argument.

—

**tbc.**

—

Well… hope you enjoyed? (:


	6. of good moods and vacations

**six.**

—

Tenten was in a good mood.

A _very_ good mood.

She stepped to the veranda and extended her arms to stretch, inhaling the fresh country air deeply. Her brown eyes swept over the view that poured in front of her as her pink lips curved in contentment. For her twenty-fifth birthday, Neji had taken her to the foot of Mount Mitake on the eastern border of the Chichibu Tama Kai National Park. They were planning to go up to the shrine located at the summit of the mountain tonight, but looking at the scenery spread out before her, she'd be happy to stay here forever. The atmosphere was calm and serene, the air sweet and rich of oxygen, and the scenery in front of her was nothing short of beautiful. She folded her arms, her torso leaning out over the balustrade, determined to memorize the panorama as much as she could.

"Enjoying yourself?"

Tenten did not have to look behind her to know who it was. "Oh, Neji…" she sighed dreamily, "It's beautiful."

"I take that's to your liking, then?"

"I love it," she turned her head to look at him, a gracious smile embracing her lips, "Thank you for taking me here, Neji."

"My dad used to take me here, when I was little," he murmured, "I'd run and run and run and he'd have to catch me."

"It sounds fun."

Neji gave her a lopsided, nostalgic smile, which she returned as brightly as she could. Absent-mindedly, he put an arm around her shoulder and started drawing lazy circles with his thumb across her skin. "Are you hungry?"

"A little," Tenten admitted, her hand automatically on her stomach. She had foregone breakfast today. Tossing him a mischievous smile, she asked, "Why? Can you cook for me?"

Impassive white eyes met hers. "If you want abysmally bland food, then sure."

"Really?" Surprise laced her voice, both at what he said and how easily he admitted his lack of culinary skill. "I wasn't aware we actually have _food_ to cook with."

"I just got the innkeeper to get us some groceries."

"Oh, the one who thought you were going to propose to me today," Tenten recalled, a grin threatening to spill on her lips. "He ran an errand for you? For free?"

"I kind of had to guilt-trip him first," Neji admitted reluctantly. "I told him that he kind of ruined the surprise of my proposal, so he had to make it up to me, one way or another."

Laughter escaped her lips as she chuckled. "That is _evil_, Hyuuga Neji. I didn't know you had it in you."

The innkeeper was an inexperienced young man by the name of Ryou who had only recently inherited his father's business. He was loud and boisterous and Tenten suspected he didn't have a mental filter as he spoke everything that crossed his mind. For some reason, he thought Neji was going to propose to her tonight, and blurted it out when he was showing them to their room. Tenten had been flustered to the point where her cheeks were _flaming_, which didn't help cast away Ryou's suspicion, but the lack of emotion on Neji's face intimidated the poor boy and he disappeared as soon as he could, leaving the two with a mumbled declaration that he'd be outside should they need him.

"There are a lot of things you have yet to learn about me, Tenten."

The reply was casual and light, and while she was caught off-guard she wasn't going to show it. "Well, we have time, don't we?"

"As much time as we need or want," he agreed, not missing a beat. His fingers rested on her cheek in an affectionate gesture. It had been four months since they started going out and he still had his ways of reviving the butterflies in her stomach. When a charming, almost boyish smirk adorned his handsome face, he leaned down to brush a soft kiss across her temple, "Do you want to eat now?"

The butterflies suddenly multiplied and she fought down the blush that threatened to spill on her cheeks. Instead, she tucked her head below his chin and hid her face, nodding and wrestling the urge to smile. Four months, and he still had that effect on her. Really, if anything, it only became stronger.

Much later, Tenten found out, to her surprise, that Neji's food was in fact not 'abysmally bland'. While it might not have been delicious to the point of mouth-watering, at least it was edible, even good if she were to stretch it out a little. Tenten had had her share of bad food—Sakura was a terrible, _terrible_ cook; it was honestly a miracle if she didn't burn down the kitchen—and she was glad to find out Neji's was anything but.

During the evening they walked to the Rock Garden that housed two natural waterfalls and the most picturesque stream she had ever seen. The trip had taken over two hours simply because she insisted on taking pictures every other second, wanting to make sure that she'd never forget the place. The surrounding forest was a deep, verdant green and everything smelled like nature, untouched and hidden from the human world. The Musashi Mitake Shrine was another view to behold, a center of mountain worship for about two thousand years already.

When they went back to the inn it was already six PM, and Ryou was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a small elderly woman with a round face and the warmest smile was standing behind the reception. Tenten suspected she was Ryou's mother; Ryou had certainly inherited her eyes.

"What now?" Tenten asked, when they were back in their room. She hoped it wasn't the end; she wasn't tired at all and she didn't want today to end just yet.

"Oh, no," Neji kissed the top of her head and smiled, "Unless you're really that exhausted, I have plans for you. But first things first—bath. Wear something nice," he added, almost as an afterthought, as he gently pushed her in the direction of the bathroom.

Compliant, she went to unzip her bag, calling out to him, "Are we going out again?"

There was a pause, and Neji appeared on the doorway. His smirk was mischievous. "Maybe," he told her calmly, and then disappeared again before she could ask anymore.

Wondering what someone as affluent as Hyuuga Neji would consider 'nice', Tenten glanced at the sole king-sized in the room, regarding it thoughtfully, an idea forming in her mind.

—

One hour and thirty minutes later, Tenten found herself staring at what looked to be a round dinner table covered with a white sheet and loaded with food—Italian, much to her delight—on top of white porcelain plates and a bottle of Dom Pérignon champagne. There was a three-branched candelabrum seemingly made of copper on each side of the table, the candles burning brightly in the dark of the room. The only other source of light was from the garden lights out on the veranda and the last rays of sunset, which were bound to disappear in a few minutes.

Lowering herself to sit down, Tenten wondered how Neji managed to transform the ordinary-looking dining room into a romantic candlelight setting during the time she took her bath and prettied herself. She suddenly felt grateful that she had her attire well thought out when she was packing the day before. Her cocktail dress was sleeveless and crimson red in color, the front covered with glittering jewels that went from her neck to the side of her left breast. The hem hung from her right thigh cascading to just a little above her left knee. At least she felt like she was dressed for the occasion.

A muffled sound from behind her shook her out of her reverie, and she turned around, only to see Neji approaching with two champagne glasses. He settled down beside her, handing her one glass and opening the Dom Pérignon with a bottle opener.

Smiling, he poured the wine into both glasses and clinked his glass with hers.

"I'm impressed," Tenten said, sipping her wine delicately as she smiled up at him, eyes twinkling. "How did you manage to do all of this?"

"Magic," Neji replied smoothly, lifting his gaze to hers as he smirked handsomely. "And good. That was my goal… to impress you."

She rolled her eyes. "Pretty much everything you do today impresses me."

The mirth in his eyes was unmistakeable. "Only today?"

"Every day before," she amended sincerely, setting the wine glass on the table carefully, "and quite certainly every day after this. You can't even begin to imagine how grateful I am. You're really very sweet, Neji," all of a sudden she blushed prettily, "I know 'thank you' would never suffice, but… thank you. I mean it."

"It was my pleasure," Neji's gaze softened, and then he gestured to the table. "Shall we eat, then?"

Tenten nodded, her gaze sweeping over the food in amazement. "Don't tell me you guilt-tripped Ryou for this again?"

"Oh, no," he shook his head, picking up his fork, "All I did was ask him where I could get good Italian food, and he went running."

"This afternoon?"

"Yes."

"Ah, so that's why he's not around when we got back. I thought it was rather early for him to retire."

Neji looked amused. "Always so sharp, aren't you?"

"Only because you're always so terribly sneaky," Tenten beamed, trying the appetizer closest to her, "Hmm, delicious!"

As they dined they talked. She told him about her aunt Mei Hua who was _dying_ to see her married, and he responded by sharing to her about the Hyuuga elders, all of which were very quiet and reserved and never bothered about anything at all except matters of importance that concerned the Hyuuga clan's future. She updated him about the publication of her most recent novel, the one Yamanaka Ino was modeling for, the one which was supposed to make her mark in Japan. He filled her in about his hotel project. This was actually one of the things she absolutely liked about him—they could talk about work and not get all awkward about it, and she was just as work-oriented as he was so it made one appropriate topic for discussion. When he was telling her about the different styles he was thinking of, she recalled something.

"What about the restaurant?" Tenten asked suddenly. They had visited a small but cozy old restaurant near the Tokyo CBD two weeks ago, and with a lot of refurbishing and repainting, it seemed like the perfect place to build Neji's father's restaurant. The area was strategic, close to pretty much everywhere and the atmosphere was calm, romantic. Furthermore, the price Fujitaka, the owner, had offered was very appropriate, even opportune. Neji had promised to call Fujitaka to discuss it more. "Did you call him in the end?"

It turned out to be a rather inapt topic to stumble upon, however, as there was unease coloring Neji's features now. "Well… no, I didn't."

"Oh," she mumbled softly, twirling her fork around the remaining spaghetti on her plate, "Why?"

"I don't think it's time yet."

Tenten raised her eyebrows, more out of surprise than disagreement.

"I have a work contract with Hyuuga's, Tenten," Neji explained, "I… don't think it's appropriate to jump ships like that. Not now, at least."

That made sense. Some employment contracts absolutely disallowed employees to work on anything else, after all. "Are you going to wait until the contract ends?" she asked quizzically. "So you're not going to renew it, or anything?"

He did not reply for a while, looking hesitant.

Immediately, she understood what was troubling him. "You know…" she began, tentatively, "He's your uncle, Neji."

It was his turn to raise his eyebrows at her.

"Your father is his twin brother," she elaborated, "and I'm pretty sure that he wants to fulfill your father's dreams, as well. He can get around that, can't he?"

Unexpectedly, Neji's face darkened, and his voice sliced in through the air, sharp and stiff. "You don't understand."

She fought the urge to wince at his harsh expression, instead opting to ask, almost lightheartedly, "Maybe you should enlighten me, then?"

"Tenten, I…"

"Because the way I see it," she pressed on when he trailed off, "There's nothing wrong with fulfilling your dreams. Nothing wrong at all! It's not like you dream of killing someone, Neji. It's not like you dream of anything bad—"

He stiffened, and her eyes widened as she stopped.

"Building a restaurant for your father is _not_ a bad thing, Neji," she said, more softly, after he refused to speak, "Honestly, I think it's very kind of you to want to do that for your father. I wish I could do that for my parents, as well! Really!"

Seeing the fierce determination and certainty reflected on her face as she spoke, her cheeks flushed red, Neji's eyes softened. He reached across the table and took her hand.

"Tenten…" he said, "I don't want to talk about this on your birthday."

"But I want to," her face fell when he stiffened once more, "Neji… Neji, I only want you to be happy."

Neji frowned, his colorless gaze catching hers searchingly, before his grip on her fingers loosened and the crease between his brows smoothened. His voice was hushed when he spoke, "Do you know what _my_ dream is?"

"To build a—oh!" Tenten stopped on her tracks. Because she didn't. She knew what his father's dream was, but not his dream. Immediately, shame flooded her cheeks, "No, I don't think I do. What is it, Neji?"

"I want to lead the Hyuuga's, Tenten."

She blinked. "What?"

"The Hyuuga Corporation," he said, a little more softly, "I want to lead it."

As his words sunk into her, she gasped. "Oh!"

Leading the Hyuuga's would mean that Neji would need to stay working for them, gaining promotion after promotion after promotion until he reached that top level, which might take years, even decades. Doing that would mean that his father's dream would have to wait or even be sacrificed, as his employment contract forbade him from working for anything else apart from the corporation. Neji's father always dreamt of having a restaurant completely separated from the Hyuuga's. She could see very clearly how all those things conflicted.

"Oh…" she murmured softly now, "I'm… I'm so sorry. I didn't know that."

"I didn't tell you," Neji's voice was subdued, calm, "but that's my dream. And… that's the impossible one, really."

Tenten lifted her gaze to his. "Why?"

"Hinata would inherit it one day. If not Hinata, then Hanabi will. It's only natural."

"Do they…" she recalled which one Hinata was: the gentle-looking woman she saw in the bike store, "Do they want it?"

"Hinata doesn't want it."

She bit her lip. "And Hanabi?"

"Neither does Hanabi."

Straightening up on her seat, she looked at him. "Then you should have it."

"I can't, Tenten," Neji replied, and though his voice was even his eyes were intense, "I can't do that to Hinata or Hanabi. Hiashi-sama fought tooth and nail for the company—his daughters ought to have it."

"Daughters who don't want to have it," Tenten countered softly. "Are you sure he thinks that way?"

He looked grim. "I haven't talked to him, but it's only natural."

"Neji, you're his nephew. He raised you. He took care of you since you were ten. Are you saying that he doesn't care for you one bit? Isn't saying that a bit… I don't know, _disrespectful_ of you?" she asked. "I'm sure he loves you and wants the best for you… as much as he does for his daughters."

The Hyuuga sighed heavily and pressed his palm to his temple. "This is why I don't want to bring it up today, Tenten," he said, looking at her with hooded eyes, "I want you to be happy."

"But I _am_ happy!" she protested in alarm. "Hyuuga Neji, don't ever think that talking to you about _anything_ can make me unhappy. Not today. Nothing, and I repeat _nothing_, can make me unhappy today. You've done so much for me and I fully intend on reciprocating that."

He smiled at her but it did not reach his eyes.

"Look," she glanced at him desperately, "Look, if you don't want to talk about it, then… let's not. We can talk about it sometime else. But first… let's buy that site, too, okay? You've seen it yourself, you know it's a wonderful investment and a good place to build a restaurant. It's the CBD, Neji, and it's relatively cheap for a place like that. You should get it, or at least consider it…" she took his hand, and her eyes were once again full of fierce determination, "I know that you think this is getting farther away from _your_ dream, but let's do this one step at a time. Let's do what we can, first. Let's… when tomorrow we go back, let's buy that land, and… and take it from there. One step at a time."

"One step at a time," he echoed. There had been a lot of 'we's in her small speech.

"Yes."

"What do you propose we do after that?"

"After that, we…" her eyes softened, "After we buy that land, I'll make you dinner and convince you that you're doing the right thing. And then we'll take it from _there_."

He smirked, and to her relief, he did not look as somber as before. "Alright. You take care of what will happen tomorrow, and I… I'll take care of today."

"Yes," Tenten agreed, unable to keep the smile off her face. "You'll take care of today. I've promised to let you do anything you want today, after all. Which is kind of strange, considering it's _my_ birthday—"

"I have a present for you."

Her eyes twinkled. "I like presents."

"I know you do," Neji remarked, standing up. He shuffled in his pockets for a bit and fished out a velvet box, presenting it in front of her as she stood up as well. She gaped in surprise and slapped herself inwardly when he opened the box to reveal to her what was inside it: a crescent moon pendant with a single diamond drop, glittering brightly under the flickering firelight. "Happy birthday, Tenten."

She couldn't keep the surprise from escaping her throat, "Oh!"

He freed it from the box, pulling the silver chain out and letting it hang from his finger. He liked the way she was gaping at it, at him, and he smirked at her. "I thought this would match your earrings."

Inadvertently, Tenten's fingers flew up to her ears. Sure enough, she was wearing her crescent moons.

"Do you want to put it on?"

When she did not speak, Neji's eyes softened and he stepped closer to her, twirling her around so. Fingers sweeping her hair to her shoulder, he worked on the clasp and put it around her neck. The silver chain was a cool sensation on her skin.

"Tenten?" he hesitated when she still did not speak. Turning her around to face him once more, his eyes widened slightly when he saw that tears had formed in the corners of her brown eyes and panic began to surge in his chest, "Uh… Tenten? What's wrong? What… did I do something wrong?"

"N-no!" she choked out with some difficulty, furiously dabbing at her eyes, "No, no, you didn't do anything wrong!"

"Then why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying! I'm just—" her fingers fluttered to the pendant, "I'm just so _happy_. Oh, Neji, _thank you_!"

And before her words sunk into his head, she threw herself at him, her two arms linking behind his neck as she squeezed him tightly, pressing her face onto his chest. There was a few more muffled sniffles before he finally allowed himself to return the hug, tucking her head under his chin and holding her as close as physically possible for as long as he could before she pulled away, wiping her eyes.

"Hyuuga Neji," her voice was husky when she finally spoke, "I must have been a _saint_ in my past life. How could I deserve you otherwise?"

"No," _his_ voice, in contrast, was gentle. He cupped her chin and drew her forward, brushing a kiss on her lips so featherlight, so quick they shared the same breath, "_I_ was the saint."

Tenten smiled, her eyes still blurry from the tears. She buried her fingers in his hair, pulling him down for another kiss. His hand was on the back of her neck, supporting her as to deepen it. It started out soft, gentle, growing more passionate, heated, _urgent_ in a matter of seconds. When she broke the kiss to take a good look at him, her eyes were glazed.

_I love you_, she thought, but it never escaped her mouth as he had already delved down for another kiss, nipping at her bottom lip gently. She was pressed against him—she could feel his heartbeat rippling to her skin—and she sighed into his kiss, completely losing herself in him—and willingly so.

All of a sudden, nothing else mattered. All of a sudden, there was nothing else in this world but him and her.

They never made it to the bedroom.

—

**tbc. **

—

They never made it to the bedroom, because suddenly the sky divided into two, a neon green UFO came down and abducted Neji, never to be seen again. Tenten was left screaming in the vicinity, tears streaming down her cheeks. She would be very, very traumatized for years to come.

… just kidding. HAHA. Oh I'm so funny. Not. Ahem…

1) So anyway, can't you tell I love describing dresses? Ultimately I fail (as fashion terminology evades me like nothing else before), but if you want to see Tenten's dress, this is the closest thing to what she's wearing (remove all spaces): http : / www . fashioninlady . com / wp-content / uploads / 2010 / 10 / red-cocktail-dress . jpg.

2) This chapter is honestly my favorite so far; I had SO MUCH FUN writing it. From the scenery (which you should Google, by the way), to the dinner scene, it was all funfunFUN, so I hope you guys had fun reading it, too.

Well, did you? :D


	7. of delicious food and meeting the family

**seven.**

—

In all twenty-nine years of his life, Hyuuga Neji had never felt more humiliated than this.

This, of course, was saying something. Twenty-nine years were a long, long time, and anything could happen. Still—it wouldn't be _too _much of an exaggeration to say that this was one of his most embarrassing moments.

And to think that this involved his sweet, _innocent_ cousins… Neji very much wanted to die. Hopefully a quick and painless death, because after all this _torture_, he deserved it.

He took a deep breath and forced himself not to lose control.

"Neji-niisan has a girlfriend!"

"H-Hanabi!" Hinata's admonishment was weak and half-hearted. "Don't make Neji-nii angry!"

"Neji-niisan has a girlfriend!" Hanabi ignored her sister, dancing along the corridor with her right arm hooked around Neji's, and then gasped dramatically as she skidded to a stop. "And lo and behold! _The girlfriend is here_!"

Control. Such a beautifully _impossible_ word.

It was three weeks after Tenten's birthday and tonight they were having dinner with his family at their home. It was also the first time he brought a woman to them in about two years, which would explain Hanabi's clear hysterics, Hinata's quiet anticipation, and—even though he would _die_ before he'd admit this—his own nervousness.

"Hello," Tenten said pleasantly, her voice clear as bells as she stepped beside him, "You must be Hanabi."

Hanabi grinned, releasing Neji's arm. "And you must be Tenten."

"H-Hanabi! Manners!" Hinata rebuked quickly, this time with more alarm and force injected into her voice. She stepped forward and bowed to Tenten. "I'm s-sorry for that, Tenten-san. My name is H-Hinata, and this is my sister Hanabi. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too," Tenten bowed politely as well. "Neji has told me a lot about you."

"Oh, really?" Hanabi looked intrigued. "Neji-nii talks about us? Gee, Neji-nii! I thought you were embarrassed to have us as your cousins!"

Neji sighed heavily, looking almost physically pained, "Well, I _am_ now."

"That was a lie." The woman standing beside her cousin grinned mischievously. "I can testify here that he speaks about you very often and fondly, at that." She paused when Neji gave her a look. "What?"

"Don't mind him," Hanabi waved a dismissive hand. "He's probably just sulking about his questionable masculinity," she smirked, "although I'm sure he doesn't have to prove _that_ to you. I'm sure he's bedded you—"

Hinata turned crimson. "Hanabi!"

"What?" Hanabi asked. "I even used the _polite_ way to ask that!"

"That doesn't mean you can _ask_!" Hinata looked even redder than usual. "Oh dear, Tenten-san, I am so sorry!"

Tenten laughed, friendly eyes crinkling in amusement, shaking her head.

Pushing the urge to giggle deep into the pits of her stomach, Hanabi narrowed her eyes, giving the woman an open appraisal as she went over her mental list of what she already knew. Hayashi Tenten, twenty-five years old, romance novelist—her dear cousin's girlfriend, if she were to put a technical term on it. Yes, she was definitely pretty. Her hair was tucked into two stylishly messy buns behind her head, with strands of brown loosely covering her ears. Her eyes were deep, warm chestnut brown and at that moment, they were looking at her with the faintest sign of amusement dancing in them.

For her part, Tenten fought to keep her mirth at bay. She had heard about both Hanabi and Hinata from Neji, of course. Hinata she'd unofficially met before and seemed like a sweet, polite woman. Hanabi, meanwhile, was a mischievous, playful senior with an almost flippant attitude. In fact, she kind of reminded Tenten of herself back in high school. Turning to Neji, she gave him a reassuring smile as he slipped an arm around her waist.

"Well," he said, "Why don't we go inside?"

Hinata led them into the Hyuuga dining hall, where Hyuuga Hiashi was already seated, sipping a cup of hot green tea. He raised his eyebrows when his daughters entered the room, Hanabi with giggles and Hinata's face flushed red, and then set down his cup on the table expectantly.

"Otou-san," Hinata cleared her throat, "Neji-niisan is here."

Hiashi stood up. "Welcome, Neji."

"Thank you for the invitation as always, Hiashi-sama," Neji bowed his head politely, and then gestured to Tenten. "This is Hayashi Tenten. Tenten, this is Hyuuga Hiashi, my uncle."

Much to his relief, Tenten did not miss a beat as she bowed deeply. "It is an honor to meet you, Hyuuga-sama."

"An honor to meet you, Tenten-san," Hiashi nodded at her, "Please, just call me Hiashi. Welcome as well."

"Hiashi-sama," she tested, a smile curving her lips.

For a moment the five of them stood silently, assessing one another, before Hiashi brought his hands together in a loud clap and motioned for the rest of them to sit down. Taking the cue, Hanabi and Hinata took the seats directly by his side, with Neji and Tenten across the table. One by one food was brought out, and Tenten reveled in the kind of meals on the plates in front of her. Deep fried shrimp with dumplings, soba noodles with minced beef, and all other kinds of delicacies filled the table. Inwardly, Tenten wondered—not unreasonably—how Hanabi and Hinata stayed slim if this was the kind of dinner the Hyuugas ate every night. She'd probably be three times their size, maybe more.

"So what do you do for a living, Tenten-san?" Hiashi broke the silence.

"Oh, I write," Tenten answered quickly, setting down her chopsticks as she met Hiashi's questioning gaze, "I'm a novelist."

"You're quite popular," Hanabi butted in, smiling cheekily. "I've read some of your works."

"Have you, now?" Hiashi asked his daughter.

"Oh yes," the white-eyed teen nodded vigorously. "She's a great writer."

The Hyuuga looked intrigued. "A writer, huh," he said. "Very fascinating. But I don't suppose it's the most reliable source of income?"

Neji stiffened slightly. He did not expect Hiashi to do the whole intimidating thing so quickly.

But Tenten was not to be deterred. Instead, she smiled. "Actually, I also write articles weekly. It goes to pay the bills."

"I see." The corners of Hiashi's lips twitched in amusement at her smart reply. "That's good. So… how long have you been seeing each other?"

"Almost five months."

"Five months! And you only brought her to see us now, Neji?"

"We've been busy with work," Neji replied before Tenten could say anything, and then smoothly directed the topic away. "Speaking of which, Hiashi-sama, I've been meaning to discuss with you about the Uchiha's."

"Of course," Hiashi nodded. "But we shall do that later. Dinner is not to be wasted talking about such serious matters, Neji."

"Of course," Neji agreed. "My bad."

Smiling, Tenten examined the cup in front of her. The porcelain piece was smooth and delicate, with a fierce dragon painted on it with cobalt oxide ink and a Chinese adage finely written beside it. She only looked up when she noticed Hiashi gazing at her face.

White eyes gleamed in inquiry. "Do you understand it?"

"'Man cannot stir one inch without the push of heaven's finger'," she translated smoothly, voice pleasant, "My mother is Chinese. Coincidentally," she lifted the cup closer to her face, smiling when she found neat, familiar Chinese letters at the base of the cup, "This very piece might have been burned at one of our family's kilns."

"Family business, I reckon?" Hiashi queried, his interest piqued as he looked at the woman sitting across of him. The Hyuugas only used top quality dinnerware. These porcelain cups were imported specifically from the best ceramics producer in China—he would know; all the details were ran by him, after all. If she were really the daughter of such a family, there would be many interesting things to come. His nephew clearly knew how to pick them.

"Family business," Tenten echoed agreeably, setting the cup down on the table, her brown eyes dancing with nostalgia. "Of course, admittedly, I don't really have anything to do with it. I'm the only one in my family to have been… _rebellious_ enough to go out on my way and do something completely, recklessly different."

"And has it been worthwhile?"

"More than I could ever expect."

For the first time that night, the corners of Hiashi's lips turned upwards into a genuine, sincere smile, and Tenten allowed herself to relax.

—

"She seems lovely."

It was after dinnertime and Hanabi had taken Tenten and Hinata into her bedroom to help her pick out her prom dress, leaving him and Hiashi alone to speak of more serious matters. After discussing the latest turn of events in their partnership with the Uchiha's, Hiashi had not-so-seamlessly switched the topic to Tenten.

"She is." A surge of pride washed over him in warm waves.

"She comes from a good family, too," Hiashi said, fixing his nephew with a well-calculated stare. "One of the finest traditional artists in China, if what she said was true. Did you know of this?"

"Not in so much detail, no."

"Her manners are impeccable," the Hyuuga patriarch commented casually, "especially compared to the one you brought before."

Neji almost made a face. Almost. Tsuchi Kin might have come from a well-respected, honorable family much like the Hyuuga's, but she hadn't possessed the same kind of liquid grace that Tenten seemed to be born with. Kin was beautiful, starkly so, with stunning midnight black hair and sharp, dark gray eyes that gleamed when she smiled. Tenten might not be as bewitching as she was at first sight, but look a little more and there was a certain kind of natural loveliness to her that Kin wasn't gifted with. Of course, there was also the fact that his feelings for Tenten were much stronger than they were for Kin at this exact moment.

"Hm."

"Your father would approve of her," Hiashi concluded after a moment of silence, "She reminds me of your mother."

Now Neji was intrigued. "How so?"

His lips curled. "She seems to have quite the temper."

Silvery eyes gleamed in well-shielded amusement. "She does."

Hiashi laughed quietly, a deep, throaty laugh as he watched his nephew closely. The two men stared at each other in silence before Neji decided to break it.

"Hiashi-sama… do you remember my father?"

"Hizashi is my only brother, Neji. There hasn't been a day I do not think about him." A sad look crossed his face. "Some things like bonds and memories transcend life and death, I'm afraid."

An uneasy look settled over Neji's features as he frowned. "Forgive me."

He fixed his nephew with a colorless, impassive gaze. "Carry on."

"I… I bought a land."

Hiashi raised his eyes to Neji's questioningly. "You bought a land."

Neji straightened up on his seat and nodded cautiously, withdrawing a file from his briefcase and setting it in front of his uncle carefully.

"I see," Hiashi said simply, his white eyes not leaving Neji's. His tone was matter-of-fact, almost flat, though his curiosity was piqued. "What for?"

This time, his nephew hesitated, "A… restaurant."

"What restaurant?"

"The one my father wanted to build before he passed away."

Understanding clicked. "I see."

Hiashi was quiet for a very, very long time as he scrutinized the land ownership document in his hands, frowning a little. There was no way his nephew would have done this if no one had prompted him to. He was too compliant for that, too loyal in his duties for the Hyuuga's to even think of something else. Perhaps he had taken Neji's skills and devotion for granted for too long, for too much.

_I shouldn't have expected less from your son, Hizashi_.

"You weren't going to tell me about this," Hiashi noted as he noticed the date of purchase. The transaction occurred around two weeks ago, and Neji would have had plenty of time to inform him of this decision before tonight.

The Hyuuga prodigy stiffened although he fought to keep his face devoid of any expression. "No, I wasn't."

"And why is that?"

"I wasn't planning to do anything with the land."

Hiashi set the documents on the table, tapping his fingers patiently, expectantly.

"But then I changed my mind."

"What of it?"

Neji looked at his uncle with strong, quiet determination. "My employment contract with the Hyuuga's specifies that I cannot work for another company if my working hours and my focus are to be compromised," he said. "I'm here… to propose a deal with you."

"And what is that?"

"I won't be compromised. I won't lose focus and drive for the Hyuuga's," Neji was quick to say, "and at the same time, I will start building the restaurant my father once dreamt about. The Hyuuga's will _always _come first, Hiashi-sama, that I promise you. I… just need your approval."

"Building a restaurant may not look as hard as building a business empire, Neji," Hiashi replied calmly. "It takes much work… perhaps much more than working _for_ the Hyuuga's. I'm well aware about the terms and conditions of your employment. It is true that what you propose does not intervene with the rules putting it that way, but there are still many other things to take into consideration. I advise you not to be rash about this. Have you considered the expenses, for starters?"

"I have," Neji's face was grave.

"None of those can come from the Hyuuga's. Not from the company, at least," Hiashi continued. "Does that not change your mind?"

"No, Hiashi-sama, it does not."

Hiashi looked at his nephew, musing on how alike they looked. Neji was the mirror image of Hizashi, and Hizashi was the mirror image of _him_. He could remember the day Hinata was born, and he and Hizashi joked around about how Neji would be her guardian, her best friend, and they could both die in peace knowing their children would have each other to turn to. It honestly seemed like yesterday.

And here he was, sitting across his nephew with the power to determine his life. Quietly, Hiashi wondered if he really had the right. If his words were really all that mattered, all that sealed the fate. But then again…

"Very well."

Neji straightened up, "Pardon me?"

"Very well," Hiashi repeated. "You are welcome to do as you please. But tell me something."

"Anything."

"What made you come to me?"

Silver eyes widened slightly at the completely unexpected question, but a smile found its way to curl Neji's lips. "I thought taking care of both the Hyuuga's and the restaurant would be too much for me to handle," he said, a certain kind of tenderness setting over his features. "But someone made me realize that I don't have to do this alone… if I so choose."

Hiashi couldn't have missed the affectionate look in his nephew's eyes, and he let himself smile as well. Unexpectedly, the hard lines on his face softened.

"Your father would be very proud."

—

"So I think I like you a lot better than Neji-nii's ex-girlfriend."

At the loud, blunt statement, Tenten turned around from Hanabi's closet, surprise gracing her features. The girl was standing by her bed, slipping out of her dress nonchalantly as she and Hinata peruse her collection of designer dresses in a quest for the most perfect dress for the teen's senior prom. So far Hanabi had tried on three pieces, all of which were amazingly beautiful in their own special way.

"I mean it," Hanabi continued obliviously, throwing her discarded dress onto her bed, "Kin is rather pretty but she never really bothered to come to our dinner—only the Hyuuga banquet, and even then I know Neji-nii has to _wrestle_ her first into coming. It almost seemed like she only wanted to know the big-name Hyuugas, you know?"

"Hanabi…" Hinata sighed, looking troubled. "It's… it's been two years. Don't talk about Kin-san like that."

Hanabi looked scandalized, "But what she has done—"

Hinata's voice was surprisingly stern when she interrupted, "_Hanabi_."

"Tsk, Onee-chan, you're too soft," Hanabi grumbled as Tenten passed her a turquoise-colored gown. "We both know how Kin is. And exactly, it's been _two years_. Surely Neji-niisan has gotten over her. Surely he's gotten over _that_. Especially now that there's Tenten."

Outwardly, Tenten only smiled. She was usually gifted with the ability to slide off any awkward moments without feeling it too much, but she didn't see how she could win this one without hearing more than she wanted to, more than she needed to. Besides, they were adults now. Surely mentioning Neji's past lover wouldn't entice any kind of exaggerated response from her, especially when said lover wasn't important enough to have come up in her daily conversations with the Hyuuga. It wasn't as if they consciously avoided talking about their history, really; it just hardly ever came up. Her knowledge about Kin was limited to her first name just like how Neji's knowledge of Zaku was restricted to that and how they had broken up.

Admittedly, it was kind of a strange coincidence that Kin also happened to be the name of the woman Zaku cheated on her with. It wasn't even a very popular name. Still... what was so bad that Hinata didn't want Hanabi to mention it?

A little part of her couldn't help but to worry. Whoever Kin really was, she must have been a rather prominent figure in Neji's past life if Hanabi and Hinata remembered her clearly enough to mention her in casual passing.

Cataloging the thought for future reflection, Tenten returned to shifting through the gowns in Hanabi's closet wordlessly.

They went over another three dresses, exchanging small talk all the while, before a soft knock on the door interrupted their session.

"Tenten?" Neji called into the room cautiously, knowing better than to just barge into a teenage girl's room. "Hinata? Hanabi?"

"Just come in!" Hanabi yelled. "The door's unlocked."

He did as told and walked into the room, peering at the haphazard pile of dresses on Hanabi's bed with a look of distaste marring his handsome face before turning to Tenten. "Are you ready to go?"

"You're going now?" Hanabi looked dismayed as Neji walked out of her room, "No way! And we were having fun!"

"It's late, Hanabi," Hinata scolded her sister, stepping back from the bed to look at all the dresses her sister had tried. "Why don't you clean up before Otou-san sees this? You know he won't enjoy it."

"Fine," Hanabi scoffed after a moment of silence. She looked up at Tenten for a long while and then suddenly squeezed the woman's arm. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Tenten-san. Thank you for tonight."

"Pleasure's all mine," Tenten replied smoothly, smiling fondly at the girl. "Please, if you need any help, just call me, Hanabi-san."

The Hyuuga's face brightened. "Can I really?"

"Of course!"

Hinata laughed as Tenten gave Hanabi her phone number. As Hanabi set to return her dresses into her closet, she gently ushered the woman out of the room.

"She can be such a handful," she said apologetically to Tenten, "but really, thank you for humoring her."

The romance novelist smiled playfully. "No, it's alright. I miss having fun with my sisters."

"You have sisters?"

"I have two sisters," Tenten told her nostalgically. "I'm the youngest of five siblings, but they're all in China save for me. It gets kind of lonely sometimes."

"I'm sure," Hinata's face softened. "Well… you can always come by anytime. Hanabi will be pleased, and I'm sure my father won't mind."

"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose!"

"It's an invitation, Tenten-san."

Tenten grinned. "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind."

The two women descended down the wooden staircase and into the living room, where Neji and Hiashi were engaged in yet another serious conversation. They both stopped when they noticed the women.

"Thank you for dinner, Hiashi-sama," Tenten bowed politely, smiling when she straightened up. "You have the most amazing shrimp."

Hiashi's lips curled at this. "Is that so? If that's the case, I imagine the Hyuuga banquet will not dissatisfy you. We go all out for that event. Neji, you should take her with you there."

"Of course, Hiashi-sama," Neji was quick to say although surprise laced his voice. "Thank you."

"Thank you," Tenten agreed smilingly as he entwined his fingers to hers.

Hinata escorted them outside and within five minutes, Tenten found herself sitting in Neji's passenger seat. She unclipped her hair and combed it with her fingers, only to put it up into one big bun at the back of her head.

She decided to just go for the blow. "So Hanabi said something interesting tonight."

"Really, now," Neji tossed her a sideways glance, a wry smirk on his lips. "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"I don't know," Tenten confessed truthfully. "That depends, I suppose. Neji… who is Kin?"

Annoyance flitted across his features. "I told you."

"I only know she's your ex-girlfriend. I have no idea who she is and what your relationship with her is like beyond that."

"Was, not is."

Confusion dipped her brows. "I'm sorry?"

"I don't have any relationship with her anymore," he said absently, making a left turn, "I haven't seen her in about a year."

She looked at him suspiciously. "I… see."

Annoyance and calm amusement battled for dominance in his eyes, and the latter won. "Are you by any chance jealous?"

"In your dreams," she muttered, though not unsmilingly. But then the mirth disappeared and was replaced by a frown. "Seriously, though. I think I have the right to know about her."

The Hyuuga considered this for a moment, silent before relenting. "What do you want to know?"

"What your relationship with her was like," Tenten answered almost immediately, "How you broke up with her. _Why_ you broke up with her."

"I dated her in high school," Neji said. "Mostly because of my friends, but it grew onto something. We broke up when we started college for distance and all that, and we lost contact."

"And…?"

"I saw her again several years ago," he continued, almost grudgingly that she had seen through him so easily. "She asked me out and I accepted, but we broke up around two years ago based on mutual decisions."

_Too simple_, Tenten thought wryly. "Well… that sounds like the abridged version."

He sighed heavily and parked his car. They climbed out and he walked her to the stairs leading to the lobby of the apartment. Relenting, he turned her around and trapped her between his arms.

"Look," he said, frustration creasing the space between his brows, "Whatever my cousins told you, Kin and I are in the past. She is not in my life anymore, Tenten. There is only you."

She smiled, leaning forward to rest her head on his chest. "I know," she said, voice muffled by his shirt.

"I told you the truth."

_S_he pulled away to take a good look at him. Half of his face was bathed in moonlight, his colorless eyes glittering silver white. Her heart constricted as she realized that while it was wrong of her to doubt him, he wasn't being fully honest with her, either.

"But what other truths are there, Neji?" she asked, and her heart sank when he stiffened.

"Tenten—"

"It's okay," she interrupted him, not unsmilingly although she pried his arms away, "It's late, you should go home."

For a moment there he opened his mouth, almost ready to tell her everything she ought to know, but he shut it again and finally nodded. He leaned forward and kissed the top of her head and then smiled sadly at her and pulled away. As he walked to his car, she turned around and let herself into the building, pausing to watch his car head out of the parking lot.

What were they, she mused, if he only trusted her with half of every truth?

—

**to be continued.**

—

I think in every relationship there's a honeymoon phase (don't you agree?) that most couples go through before they experience the real thing. There will be heavier, more serious chapters starting from now.


	8. of dissonance and gourmet meals

**eight.**

—

Tenten was having a fairly good Thursday.

She was sitting in the park with her headphones on, listening to music as she scanned the area around her. She was working on another of her novels and was stuck on one of the scenes, and when something like this happened, she often took the day off and went alone to just look for inspiration. Humming to herself, she watched the children in the playground, a boy pushing the swing a girl was sitting on. Something about the action was interesting to her, but right this moment she was still grasping in the dark, unable to pinpoint just what exactly.

Standing up, she stretched and brushed imaginary dust off her clothes, pressing her headphones more tightly around her ears to drown out any other noise but her music. Making a mental note to get better headphones, she stepped closer to the playground, until someone suddenly seized her arm and she whirled around, surprised, and any and all ideas she might have had just flew out of her head.

Behind her, with the haughtiest smirk Tenten had seen in a while, stood a woman in a green sports bra and black running pants. Her coal-black hair was tied into a high ponytail above her head and her face was red from exercise, but it only managed to prettify her already fetching appearance.

Tenten's eyes widened and she gasped. "You!"

Looking absolutely delighted at her reaction, the woman purred, "Hello, Tenten. You forgot my face?"

Yanking her arm out of the woman's grip, Tenten glared as she lowered her headphones to her neck. "How could I?" she asked. "The last time I saw you, you were lapping my then-boyfriend's face, much like a dog."

"Oh, of all the things to remember!" the other woman laughed. "Must you remember the bad memories, Tenten? Only the bad memories?"

"We don't _have_ good memories, Kin," Tenten waved her hand, "though I suppose I should thank you. If not for you, I would have realized how much of an asshole Zaku is much, much later. You saved me from wasting precious time, so thank you."

Kin chuckled. "Really, Tenten? If not for me, you wouldn't have realized that at all."

"Still very charming, aren't you?"

"Only when it concerns you, darling," the black-haired woman smiled, "Why else do you think Zaku likes me better?"

"Not because you're smart, definitely," Tenten shrugged. "We both know that's not true."

Kin laughed. "I'll let you in on a secret, Tenten, sweetheart. You can't keep a boyfriend with that kind of attitude. Just look at Zaku."

"And of course Zaku is the prime example because he's _such_ a perfect boyfriend, isn't that right, Kin?" Tenten queried, feigning curiosity as she willed herself not to catch fire. "I heard it was only a one-night-stand, what you had then. Surely it didn't make you feel all used and cheap?"

The black-haired woman stiffened slightly, and Tenten immediately congratulated herself, smiling winsomely. _Score_. She didn't want to be mean, but Kin was _impossible. _She was literally the most infuriating person Tenten had ever met, and with their history, she could have been a bitch and her actions would have been justified. Heck, her ex-boyfriend cheated on her with this woman! She _deserved_ to be bitched at!

"It was based on a mutual decision," Kin replied stiffly, finally. "But never mind that. I no longer care about Zaku. He's so last year, and besides, I have someone else in mind."

"What a _lucky_ man!" Tenten supplied with fake cheer.

A slow, languid smirk curved Kin's full pink lips as she reached for a water bottle. "Of course, only he doesn't know how lucky he is—yet," she said, uncapping the lid and satisfying her thirst. She put the bottle away and smiled winsomely at Tenten. "He's my ex-boyfriend."

"I didn't ask."

"No, but I can tell you wanted to know," Kin shrugged, "so I thought I'd save you the trouble."

A sigh escaped the novelist's lips. Kin was also the vainest person she had met in a while, though she probably had an excuse. Even Tenten had to admit that Kin was breathtakingly _gorgeous, _with midnight black hair and a pair of equally stunning onyx eyes. If those weren't enough, she was also a dance teacher, which ensured that she had the body of one. Tall and athletic, her movements were naturally fluid, so graceful it was almost unfair.

Except, of course, there was one minus so _massive_ it couldn't go unnoticed.

Kin was pretty, but she was such a _bitch_.

"Listen, Kin," Tenten began, her voice caramel sweet and her smile cheerful, "You should totally go for him. _Totally_. I bet he misses you so much right now and as soon as you walk in that door, he'll be begging for you to come back."

"Sarcasm doesn't become you, Tenten."

"Ah, but I wasn't being sarcastic."

"Liar," Kin returned the smile arrogantly, "I know you, Tenten. You hate me. There's no way on earth you believe what you said—"

"So why tell me?" Tenten interrupted, crossing her arms over her chest. "You know I don't care."

"Maybe because I like seeing you suffer?" Kin suggested. "And maybe because I _can_ see you suffer by making you listen? I don't know, Tenten, you're the novelist here. You're the one who's supposed to come up with all these creative ideas you call _reasons_, aren't you? Or are you losing your spark?"

"Fuck you," Tenten muttered automatically. Mocking her for Zaku was one thing—she _was_ stupid for letting him too deep, too soon, too easy—but mocking her _work_ was a completely different thing.

Kin looked delighted at the heated curse. "I'm only interested in men, sorry. Anyway," she added, "I have to go now. You're distracting my exercise regime!" she started jogging in place, "Goodbye, Tenten. See you around."

"Hopefully not," the bun-haired woman shook her head with a rueful smile. "Bye, Kin."

Tenten watched as Kin jogged back on track, pulling up her headphones again. Only when the music started playing in her eardrums that she finally allowed herself to relax. The two children on the swing were gone, and she needed some more time before she got back home to write. If she tried now, any character she created would end up being a bitch, a deranged woman, a 'frenemy', or maybe all three.

Not good, she thought in defeat as she settled back down on the grass. Not good. So much for inspiration.

—

It was Saturday, and Neji was working.

Before Tenten, he was used to this. Working overtime, on the weekend, his every waking moment, was something he was used to; something he actually _embraced_ at one point of his life, simply because it provided him with something to hold on to. Work was stable, steady, _safe_—perhaps the only thing in his world that was like that. It was never-changing, reliable, and Neji liked that it was also very distracting.

Except for, well, now.

In front of him were pages and pages of facts and figures, numerical values that needed to be recalculated and then analyzed and then considered, but his mind was on something else. Someone else.

Tenten. She was driving him _crazy_.

Maybe it was the fact that this was their very first row, ever, that made it all the more disconcerting to him. Their relationship had been so amicable, almost so unbelievably _easy_, that perhaps it was time for some conflict, some disagreement, some _friction._

Or maybe it was the fact that she hadn't called that was making him so restless. He hadn't honestly expected her to, not really, but it still came as a disappointment to him. One week, and she hadn't called. One week, and there was _no _sign of her calling him at all. She hadn't even returned his call when he called her the night after the dinner at Hiashi's place! He was so disappointed that it frustrated him to the point of being distracting. He might have been staring at numbers all day long, but she was always there, lurking in his mind. Even working hadn't been effective against her.

Honestly, it was like she was a _drug_. He didn't know how to feel about this.

One thing he _did_ know, though: he should have been more honest with her. He should have told her the truth about Kin. The truth about _everything_, really, because she was Tenten and she deserved no less than the truth.

But Kin was the past. He had a future, and Tenten… he wanted _her_ to be his future.

Neji stopped pacing around the room at the sudden realization. Well, he hadn't seen _that_ one coming, although he supposed he shouldn't be too surprised. They _were_ in a relationship, anyway, despite what recently happened, and Tenten was… Tenten was so _different_ from Kin.

He didn't like comparing the two—even understood that it usually brought more trouble than its worth—but he couldn't help himself, because really, why should he stop comparing when what he had now was better than what he had _then_?

Tenten was not Kin, and Neji did not ever want her to be.

His relationship with Kin was a failure. His relationship with Tenten was _not_ a failure, and god help him, at this point he'd sacrifice an arm to keep it from being one.

Suddenly, his phone gave a cry and Neji almost jumped, so immersed in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed it vibrating a second earlier. Reaching for it, he glanced at the lit up screen, and his eyes narrowed marginally.

_Speak—no, _think_—of the devil and he doth appear. _

Except in this case it was a she.

Almost warily, he pressed the green button and put the phone to his ear.

"Hello… Neji."

The voice speaking to him was saccharinely sweet, to it an almost silver quality. He'd forgotten how she always drew out the first syllable of his name.

"… Kin."

She laughed teasingly, "Did you miss me?"

"What do you want?"

"Oh, Neji, always so straightforward. But that's okay. Anyway… I have a favor to ask from you. Can we meet up tonight?"

He opened his mouth. "I don't—"

"It's really _urgent_," Kin interrupted him softly. "Please, Neji. You're the only one I can turn to. Please. You know I wouldn't ask you if there's anyone else, right?"

White eyes narrowed, but the Hyuuga did not speak.

"Please?" Kin pressed once more. When there was no response, she sighed. "Okay, you know what, usual time, usual place. I'll be there starting from seven, and I'll wait for you until you come."

"Kin—"

"Neji," she stopped him, "Don't forget what I have."

Her voice was still sweet, but Neji knew her too well that he could detect the slight threat underlying her friendly tone. And for her to use that against him, now of all times… he didn't know whether to be amazed or disgusted at how low she had stooped. This, after all, was one of the very few women he spent several years of his life caring for, and was the only one out there he ever seriously dated.

"I haven't forgotten," he said at last.

"Good," she replied, "You shouldn't have," and—was it possible to _smile_ over the phone?

The Hyuuga chuckled, but it was humorless. "You'll never let me do that."

There was a moment of silence before Kin laughed, and over the static of the phone it sounded like dissonance, and then the noise cleared up. "See you there, Neji," she whispered, and then the line was dead.

Neji cursed, and then threw his phone to the couch.

—

"So is there any specific reason why you asked me out for dinner, Hinata-san?"

At the mention of her name combined with the honorific, Hinata's fingers tightened around the menu she was holding. She wasn't used to being called with such respect—not from someone above her age, at least. Lowering it down, she looked at her companion for the night and showed a warm, gentle smile.

"Hinata, please," she corrected.

"Hinata," Tenten amended, returning the smile just as warmly, "Call me Tenten."

A waitress came to take their order, and several moments later, their meals were served. Tenten ordered coq au vin with olive oil mash, while Hinata had opted for sole au gratin with extra mushroom.

As they began to eat, Tenten decided to just go for the shot, "Are we here to talk about Neji?"

Fighting a blush, Hinata managed a smile, this one hesitant. "Well…" she paused thoughtfully, taking a bite of her food, "I just… I-I think I ought to apologize in place of Hanabi… and myself. We haven't made the best impression on you."

"Oh, no!" Tenten's eyes widened. "No, no, you've both been really kind. It was actually fun, trust me."

At the response, white eyes softened. "I'm glad."

The bun-haired woman smiled back, and then the two effortlessly settled to a more comfortable topic. During their conversation, she found out that while Hinata was helping her father with the business, she actually graduated with a degree in education and had always dreamed of being a kindergarten teacher. Her whole university life was very proper; she had gone to the same place Neji had, their fathers' alma mater, and pretty much every teacher knew who she was.

"Apparently our fathers were very big pranksters when they were in college," Hinata told Tenten, an almost wistful smile on her pink lips, "It's hard to believe knowing what Otou-san is like today, but every lecturer vouched for it."

Tenten just chuckled. Imagining Hyuuga Hiashi—stiff, rigid Hyuuga Hiashi—as a prankster was proving to be kind of hard work. Hinata was right, it _was_ hard to believe. But time did change people; that much she understood.

"What was Neji like in college?" she decided to ask. "Has he always been so… serious?"

"Oh, yes!" Hinata nodded at that, smiling. "Neji-niisan has always been so serious. He's always so serious about his work, very dedicated, very devoted. I'm sure you heard what the tabloids call him?"

Tenten raised her eyebrows, attempting a guess, "The Hyuuga Prodigy?"

"Yes, that," her companion laughed pleasantly, "He's really smart, too. Did he tell you that he graduated high school one year earlier than his peers?"

She shook her head, "Did he really? That's amazing."

"Indeed," Hinata agreed, voice soft, "It's amazing. He's so smart and he's so diligent."

There was a hint of admiration in the heiress' voice that Tenten hadn't missed. "You look up him, don't you, Hinata."

White eyes blinked in surprise, and red splashed on Hinata's cheeks. "I… I suppose so," she admitted, "Neji-nii has always been there for Hanabi and I. It's hard not to depend on him, although we never did see a lot of each other. Neji-nii lived in dorms in high school, and when he got to university, he started living at his own place. We never really see each other a lot, but I think what he does and how he does it are highly commendable. Besides, he takes care of us a lot, so it's only natural that we care about him, as well."

Tenten softened. "I'm sure he'll be very pleased if he knows that."

"Perhaps," Hinata laughed lightly. "He's really into his work right now. Has been since about two years ago, though he's always been really serious about his work."

Two years ago, Tenten thought. Around the same time Neji broke up with Kin. "Did something happen?"

The smile on Hinata's lips faded a little. "Yes, something happened, but…" she hesitated, "I can't say what, exactly. It would be wrong to Neji-nii and I can't do that to him."

"I understand," the bun-haired woman spoke quickly, her tone light. "It's alright, Hinata, don't feel bad."

The heiress chewed on her lip hesitantly. "I… I assume he's given you the pendant?"

Tenten's lips twisted. "The pendant?" she inquired, her hand quickly fluttering to the silver chain around her neck, and then her eyes softened as her fingers closed upon something familiar. "Oh, that's right."

Hinata followed the direction of the novelist's hands, and she smiled when she noticed the very same jewelry Neji had bought several weeks ago. "Don't tell him I told you this," she began, "but he spent an awful lot of time wondering if he picked the right gift for you. An awful lot of time, during which Hanabi teased him mercilessly."

The bun-haired woman laughed. "Now _that_, I can imagine."

"What I'm trying to say is… Tenten, no man would spend so much time just thinking about a woman if he does not care for her," Hinata said. "I know it must be hard that Neji-nii isn't being completely open with you, but that's the way he is. I-in fact, Hanabi and I, we actually only knew about Kin because we were there, we… we saw what happened. He still doesn't talk to us about it, and he's known us since we were born!"

Her lips curved softly. "Hinata…"

"I'm not the best at comforting," the heiress continued, "but I can tell you that at least Neji-nii really, really, _really_ cares about you. So please," she looked up and met Tenten's gaze as the word escaped her lips, slight plea in her pale lavender eyes, "Wait for him. I don't know how long it takes, but," she paused, biting her lip, "but he'll tell you. I promise."

Slowly but surely, Tenten felt herself being won over. She allowed herself to smile as she reached forward to pat Hinata's hand gently.

"Don't worry," she said, "I trust him, and I'll trust you, too."

—

**tbc.**

—

1) Behold! The glossary! _Frenemy:_ a friend who is simultaneously an enemy, i.e. a rival. I'm sure we've all had one or two of this, back in those days—maybe even now. _Coq au vin_: (from Wikipedia, because it's easiest) a French braise of chicken cooked with wine, lardons, mushrooms, and optionally garlic. _Sole au gratin_: (also from Wikipedia, because my food terminology fails me) a raw fish style of gratin, usually with white gratin sauce and cheese.

2) My darling Kin is back. In the series she's very arrogant and she strikes me as kind of bitchy, so she'll take on those characteristics here, too.

3) Late, but Merry Christmas and happy holidays! :)


	9. of tempestuous meetings and frying pans

**nine.**

—

Azami's was always busy this time of the day.

Founded by Nara Shikaku and Akimichi Chouza, it started out a small coffeehouse whose only customers were their family, friends and colleagues. About five years ago, Hyuuga Hiashi joined the business and under the three men, Azami's expanded into a big brand name in Japan. Today it was known for its comfortable, modern design and good food, being completely owned by the Hyuuga's as Nara and Akimichi moved on to 'better and bigger things'.

All of this Tsuchi Kin recalled as she relaxed on the green velvet armchair, sipping her Greek frappe coffee as she stirred the drinking straw three times around the clear glass. Business did not actually interest her, but she had a good memory and she could remember many, many things that Neji had shared with her—this included.

Slowly but gracefully, she set her glass on the table, stealing a glance at the expensive Gucci watch around her wrist. Two past seven. Neji was usually never late, not even by two minutes, but she understood the fact that they parted on not-so-well terms meant that he would be reluctant to meet her. No problem, she could easily remedy that. He would soon understand that it was virtually impossible to let someone like her go.

Just as she looked up, the doors opened and Neji walked in, his colorless eyes sweeping around the room and briskly setting upon her face. Kin returned his gaze evenly, almost delighted at how abruptly the atmosphere in the coffeehouse changed. Neji was, after all, The Boss, and everyone knew how critical and much of a perfectionist he was. She, too, had experienced that firsthand. Standing up, a flirtatious, sweet smile spread on her lips as she gave him a little wave. The act was more for the benefit of the waiters and waitresses rather than his, for they all relaxed realizing that he was there to meet someone, not to check on them.

He crossed the floor in five long strides.

Like a professional actress, Kin let relief flush her cheeks, "You came."

Neji's eyes were emotionless, but there was a slight cadence to his voice that said otherwise. "You told me it was urgent."

Her smile was succinct but brief. "I lied."

Immediately, the space between his eyebrows creased and he turned around, ready to leave, before she flung her arms around his and latched on. Standing on her four-inch black stiletto heels, she forced herself on tiptoes, her breath fanning on the back of his neck.

"Please, Neji."

Irritated but not quite outraged yet, the Hyuuga jerked his arm away and glared at her, though he relented and took the seat across from her.

Kin exhaled, this time out of genuine relief. She sat down as well and smiled at him. "I ordered you black coffee, as you like."

When the crease between his brows only crumpled even more, she realized that he was going to be more difficult than she thought he would be. Subconsciously, she grasped her handbag tightly to her side. There was no reason to worry; she still had the upper hand.

"How have you been, Neji?" the black-haired woman asked, her voice sultry, "Everything going well for you, I hope?"

"That's none of your business, I believe," he replied, cold and stiff. At the same time, a waitress came with his black coffee.

When he didn't make a move to take it, Kin smiled again, a little nervously. "Just because we broke up, it doesn't mean I don't care about you, Neji. I still do. I never stopped caring."

"Just cut the crap and tell me what you want from me."

She took a deep breath and decided to just go for the chase. "I'm not with Zaku anymore."

His eyes narrowed marginally, and she'd have missed that if she wasn't used to it.

Encouraged, she added, "I haven't seen him in quite a while."

At this, Neji scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest, ashen gaze fixated on the woman perched in front of him.

Kin hadn't changed much. A little thinner, perhaps, but her charcoal black eyes were still as vibrant and intent as always, her voice holding out the same honeyed, silver timbre he'd forgotten was one of her strongest points. She still dressed with the same style—heels, skirts, blouses with expensive accessories. Her handbag was irritatingly familiar to his eyes; for it was the one he bought on her request after a particularly long argument as she accused him of not paying her enough attention and caring more for his work than their relationship. At that time, her false allegation irked him and he succumbed, so easily, to buying her anything she wanted. It was one of the ways they 'made up', and only after a while did he realize how pretentious it all had been. Only after a while did he realize what kind of a person she was.

And only now did he realize the kind of power she held over him.

But Neji wasn't Neji if he weren't stubborn and in absolute control of his expression. "I don't think so."

The black-haired woman stared at him for a long, long time, before she finally said, apprehension in her voice. "You're with someone."

It wasn't a question, so he didn't reply.

"Who is it?"

"None of your business."

Kin crossed her legs and then uncrossed them again. She willed herself to stay calm, to not lose her cool, as she watched the man in front of her with her charcoal black eyes, taking in his lean, muscular form.

Hyuuga Neji, she decided, was basically perfection personified. He made a very, very pleasing image to her eyes, with his dark hair and those silvery white eyes and his strong, hard jaw. She remembered what it was like to be held by those two sturdy arms, too; remembered what it was like to be pressed against his chest and to have her head tucked underneath his chin. He always made her feel safe, protected in such a way many women would kill for, and at the same time he also drove her crazy because, really, how could anyone be so _composed_? He was exactly the kind of man her family wanted her to marry, and he knew it too—in fact, he knew it better than anyone else!

And she wanted him. For that reason alone, she wanted him.

"Look," Kin began softly, finally relenting a little, "I know you're angry at me, and you have all the reason you need in the world to feel that way. But Neji, surely you haven't forgotten how good we were, together? Surely you haven't forgotten all the terrific memories we shared together, all those birthdays, events, trips—"

"Kin."

She lapsed into immediate silence at his cold, hard stare. "What?"

"Save it," Neji answered, his voice equally icy, "I have no intension revisiting what we had or what we were, let alone reliving them." He took a deep breath and met her eyes. "I will ask this only one more time: is there anything I can help you with, Kin?"

Looking dejected and a little surprised, she finally grasped for her handbag and retrieved a small object. A velvet box lay in her hands, its surface decorated with silver threads that together formed the character 'Hyuuga', her fingers clasping tightly around its corners. Slowly, she lifted the lid, looking up and was comforted as he stiffened very, very slightly.

Her voice was deceivingly hushed, gentle. "I see you remember this."

The tiny object lay on the midnight blue cushion in the box, silver and shimmering splendidly under the lighting of the coffeehouse. He immediately recognized the object: the silver equilateral cross, arms bent at right angles and a slight curve of a hook at the end of every hand. There were only two originals of those in the whole world. One belonged to Hiashi, and the other _used_ to belong to him, handed down when Hizashi passed away.

_The Hyuuga family crest._

White eyes narrowed. "Of course."

Much to Kin's relief, he didn't make a grab at it. He was far too gentlemanly, too polite to do so, although she was certain that he would be successful if he attempted it. But of course, he didn't. Instead, he slowly lifted his gaze to hers, the light in those pools of white so _cold_ that it was her turn to stiffen. Playing it safe, she closed the box and returned it into her handbag, shielding it behind her body. When she boldly met his eyes, he looked tired.

"What do you want?" he asked, sounding as if he had aged twenty years in a matter of that many seconds.

"You," she replied simply, "I want you." She leaned forward and pushed the cup of black coffee closer to him. "Drink, Neji."

He took the cup and brought it to his mouth, pressing the rim to his lower lip. His first sip was careful, guarded, his second less so. His third was even less tense, and after his fifth swallow, Kin lost count as she watched his Adam's apple bob up and down as he drank. When he was done, he put the cup down on the table and she was pleased to see that it was finished.

"Do you want more?" she asked softly, reaching out to touch the hand he kept tight around his cup. "Neji?"

But as her fingers brushed his thumb, he jerked away, his white eyes narrowing.

"You may have one of the most important things to me, Kin," he said, his tone that of cold warning, "but that doesn't mean I'll have you or the other way around. Seeing as there is nothing left to discuss, I will take my leave now."

Kin didn't say anything as Neji made his hurried exit, the door closing with a final click as he strode outside. Wordlessly, her gaze fell upon the few bills he left on the round table—even in his most unpleasant encounter, with his least favored person, he still remembered his manners. Pleased, she took them and folded them into her purse. The meeting hadn't gone as far as she originally intended, but it was good enough, for now. At least she knew that she needed a game plan because he wasn't going to yield as easily as she hoped. At least he was still the Neji she went out with several months back, the same calm, handsome, _proper_ Hyuuga that her parents so admired and loved.

And at least, she concluded with calm delight, the ball was on _her_ field.

_You can't escape forever, Neji. Not from this. Not from me. _

Outside rain started to fall, a drizzle at first and growing increasingly wild by the second—a tempest.

—

"One cup caster sugar, fifty grams of butter, a quarter cup cream, one cup water…"

Tenten balanced the recipe book in her left hand and a measuring cup in her right, eyes darting from the ingredients list and the frying pan on the kitchen stove. Putting down the plastic cup, she reached for her wooden spatula, humming to herself. She started stirring the mixture in front of her, clockwise but slowly to allow the sugar to dissolve, feeling herself relax as she watched.

After her troublesome encounter with Kin on Thursday, she spent the rest of the week doing household chores, unexpectedly enjoying herself. She vacuumed the apartment, watered the flowers, changed the sheets. She even went out to buy groceries and restocked the fridge, making sure that they had at least three types of fruits and the bread was fresh and a new giant jar of Nutella was sitting on the counter. She also went shopping for a little bit, as a reward for herself. Her novel had advanced quite a bit and overall, she was pleased with her progress. Cleaning the apartment turned out to be really 'de-stressing', and besides, everything looked like they were pulled directly out of an architecture or interior magazine, it made her very, very happy.

But Tenten was beginning to feel a little lonely. It was Sunday night, and Sakura had spent the last two nights over at her parents', miles and miles and _miles _away from here, practically across the city. She only hoped that whatever her housemate was doing, she wasn't outdoors, since the rain was crazy and the only thing she could hear was water pounding on her window and very strangely, her door.

As the last thought left her, Tenten blinked. Her door? There was no way rain could pound on her _door_! Putting down the spatula in the frying pan, she rushed to open the door, expecting Sakura to be back early—but in fact, it was Neji standing outside, his coat drenched and water dripping out of his hair and his face wet with rainwater.

"Neji! What the hell—it's _raining_ outside!"

"I'm aware," Neji replied evenly. "Can I come in?"

She stepped aside and he stood on her doorway, dripping wet, and in a matter of seconds she was back with a towel, dabbing his face with it a little too roughly for a few moments. When she almost jabbed his eye, he took the towel from her.

"How did they even let you in?" Tenten asked, grumbling a little as she watched him. "I thought—"

"You don't want to see me?" he queried softly, interrupting her.

At his blunt question, she hesitated. "I just—"

"But I want to see you," he interrupted her again, calm amusement dancing in his colorless eyes as a faint blush blossomed on her cheeks. "And I smell burning from the kitchen."

Jolting out of her trance, Tenten immediately rushed into the kitchen, her heart plummeting in dismay as she watched what would be her caramel sauce blacken in her frying pan. She turned off the stove and poked at the unidentifiable mixture with her spatula several times, groaning loudly when she noticed how hard it was.

She was so immersed in poking the batter that she didn't notice Neji following her, dripping all over the place, until he was right behind her.

"You're wet!"

"Obviously," he agreed, gaze falling upon the water pooling on his feet.

"You're making _my_ kitchen wet," Tenten protested. "You might catch a cold. Go to the bathroom, Neji. I'll get some of your clothes."

The Hyuuga raised his eyebrows at her, his expression puzzled. "I wasn't aware I had clothes here."

At his statement, she suddenly paused. "Well, that's because you don't."

"I don't?"

"You don't," she repeated, feigning casualness, "I went out to shop and I… might have accidentally bought you new clothes."

It was Neji's turn to pause as he regarded her quietly, studying her face. Without a word, he then turned to the direction of the bathroom, leaving a wet trail of his feet on the carpet of her living room. Knocking the side of her head, Tenten followed after him, dragging with her a plastic bag full of clothes.

She _was_ being honest; she didn't actually _realize_ she was buying clothes for him until she was home, going over the things that she bought. She wasn't the type to mope around after a big fight and Zaku had once accused her of being unaffected, but she wasn't, really. If she _were_ truly unaffected, Neji wouldn't have been lurking in her mind without her realizing it. She wasn't unaffected—she just, well, had a different way of coping with such things.

Neji, meanwhile, stood on the door of her bathroom and watched her pull out some clothes for him from the bag, infinitely amused by her expression. He didn't know what came over him when he was driving home from Azami's, but now that he was at Tenten's, he knew he had made the right decision. She didn't seem as disappointed as she had the last time they met, and perhaps tonight they could finally make up and he could make things all better again.

When she handed him the clothes and another towel, he seized her wrist so quickly that her eyes widened.

"What, Neji?"

"We will talk."

Tenten looked surprised, but then her lips curved into a smile—the first genuine one he had seen in a while—and like magic, he immediately felt the dead weight in his stomach disappearing into thin air.

"We will talk," she agreed, and then gently pushed him into the bathroom, "but you have to take a bath first, before you catch a cold."

—

Tenten stared at the frying pan and poked the batter with her spatula. It was insistently unmoving, almost as if it was frozen at the spot. Sighing, she groaned for the nth time in the past fifteen minutes. This was going to be such a _bitch_ to clean! At this rate, she might just chuck the whole thing into her recycle bin and buy a new one. More expense, sure, but at least—

"You don't have to clean that."

—she didn't have to clean this. Blinking, she turned around and came face to face with Neji, thankfully dry and smelling like _her_ soap.

"Um, yes, I have to," she informed him, "I've already ruined my spare one with my cooking experiments—this is the last one I have."

"You can have mine."

"Oh," she looked puzzled. "But if I do, what will _you_ use?"

But he was unfazed. "The same one," he replied, sounding matter-of-fact.

"So we… make a schedule out of a frying pan? _Your_ frying pan?" Tenten asked, incredulous and more than a little bewildered, "You have it for one week and then I have it the next? Don't be ridiculous, Neji."

The Hyuuga paused at her words, giving her a calculated gaze as he leaned on the kitchen counter. "I'm not being ridiculous," he replied stiffly, "and of course it's not going to have a _schedule_. It should just stay at one place."

Tenten looked at him oddly. "Are you suggesting that I have to go to your house _just_ to cook?"

"No."

"That you're giving me your non-stick frying pan?"

"_No_."

She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. "Then what are you suggesting?" she asked, "That we should move in together?"

"Actually," Neji returned the look, "yes."

Surprised, Tenten dropped her spatula. It fell with a dull 'thud' on the kitchen counter. "Are you serious?"

"As serious as I can be."

She looked speechless.

Seemingly annoyed at himself, he raised his eyebrows at her. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Well, _yes_!" Tenten threw her hands up in the air. "Forgive me for this, Neji, but honestly? I know you don't trust me—" he made a disapproving sound at the back of his throat, but she waved him off, "You _don't_ trust me fully, not yet, and that's fine by me. These things take time, Neji, and I was wrong to push you last week. It wasn't my place to demand anything from you, especially not like that, and I'm…" she bit her lip, "I'm sorry."

It was his turn to look surprised. "Sorry?"

"I'm sorry for doubting you," she continued, "Sorry for, well, not giving you enough time. Hinata… talked to me and she was very encouraging. She thinks I should wait for you, and I…" her expression softened as she reached for his hand, "I think so, too."

"Tenten—"

"Whatever you're hiding from me," she added, "I understand that you have your own reason for keeping it from me. I'm okay with that. For now."

"For now," he repeated, comprehending.

Tenten hesitated, but nodded. "Yes, for now. I—I _can_ wait for you, Neji. I can," she insisted, clutching his hand, only to feel him squeeze back, "and I want to. I will wait until the time you open up to me. I'm okay with that. I'm okay with waiting, but—but that's the only thing I can do for you until then."

White eyes softened as recognition dawned on him. "But you don't want to move in with me," he said. It wasn't a question.

She bit on her lip, correcting him, "I _can't_ move in with you."

"I understand."

"Do you really?" the bun-haired woman asked softly, lifting her dark hazel eyes to meet his emotionless white ones. "Neji, after what happened with Zaku, I'm just… I'm not sure if I can have that one more time. Not this soon. Not with _you_. I… I like you a lot, Neji, more than I think I'm ready for, and…"

"Tenten—"

"I don't want us to be like that," she whispered, letting him pull her closer. "I don't want us to… do things we're not ready for. I want us to, well, last." He opened his mouth, but she interrupted him again. "I know. _I _know, better than anyone else, that I was the one who wasn't ready for a serious relationship, and you—you've been nothing less than kind and honorable then. You let me be and you didn't question my decision more than necessary," she looked up at him, "and now, it's my turn to do the same for you, Neji."

"I understand," he said, arms circling behind her back, "You don't have to explain anything to me."

She sighed, contented for a while, as he tucked her under his chin. Voice muffled by his shirt, her lips curved into a brilliant, self-satisfied smile, "I knew this color would look nice on you."

"You chose rightly."

She closed her eyes and leaned into his chest, "Mm-hmm."

It was when she finally felt something cool pressed into her palm that she opened her eyes and pulled away, chocolate gaze falling upon the metallic object in her right hand.

_A key_, Tenten's eyes widened in realization. _No, not only a key. _The_ key to his home. _

"Neji, what—"

"You're right," Neji interrupted her, his voice soft and his expression serious, "we shouldn't do things we're both not ready for. We're not ready to live together… but I think we're ready for this. _I_'m ready for this," he continued, looking at her tentatively. "Are you?"

She stared at the key in her hand, bringing it up under the light. The smooth, slick metal surface glittered under the kitchen light, and her heart leapt in something that was strikingly similar to joy.

"_Yes_."

—

**tbc.**

—

Thank you for reading!


	10. of wedding plans and canceled dinners

**ten.**

—

"There is just so much to do!"

Tenten looked up from the list she was reading and stared at her cousin, who was currently sprawled over her sofa looking as if she wanted to die right then and there. Putting down the list on the table, she took her seat across it and beamed.

"There, there," she soothed, "I'm here to help you, remember?"

It had been roughly three weeks since she got back from a spur-of-the-moment research trip to Okinawa with Sakura and life more or less had settled. Her work was going great, her relationship with Neji even more so, and her aunt had given up demanding that she got married as soon as possible, only resorting to biweekly calls now.

When Hayashi Kirika, Tenten's cousin from her father's side and also one of Tenten's closest girl friends, dropped by two days ago, the news she brought wasn't exactly surprising: she was getting married, and she wanted Tenten to be her maid of honor, which Tenten said yes to. From then on Tenten had taken the responsibility of calming the twenty-six year old interior designer down whenever the latter got too nervous—as she often did—and helping her plan the wedding. She had made no less than thirty calls today to various people, and so far they only got down the decoration and the place.

Kirika was right: there _was_ a lot to do.

"Maybe you should hire a wedding planner," Tenten thought aloud. "I mean, at least it'll get the wedding reception part done, right?"

"I suppose," Kirika sighed. "But I've always thought I should do it alone. It's _my_ wedding, after all… and I want it to be really special. Unless we get a really unique wedding planner I'm just afraid it's going to turn out the same as everyone else's wedding."

A smile spread on Tenten's lips at the soft declaration. When they were twelve years old, they had this quite interesting talk about the kind of man they wanted to marry in the future. At that time Tenten wasn't interested in boys yet, but Kirika—brown-haired, blue-eyed, always pretty Kirika—had gone through a few admirers, and even then she already had a dream wedding in mind, down to the kind of flowers she wanted in her bouquet (calla lilies and perhaps hydrangeas) and the flavor of the wedding cake (lemon with layers of vanilla). Now that the big moment had finally come, of course she would want everything to be perfect—that much, Tenten could understand.

"Come on, don't give up now—we've barely started!" the romance novelist coaxed. "Show me your ring again."

Kirika held up her hand, the jewelry glinting underneath the sunlight trickling through the windows. It was actually quite simple in design—a single diamond on a silver band—but something about it was breathtaking. She sighed dreamily. "I know I'm not one to talk, but I think this is one of the prettiest ring I have ever seen—if not _the_ prettiest."

"It _is_ very pretty," Tenten laughed. "I never thought Yuuma has an eye for jewelry, especially the kind that women would love."

When she met Higuchi Yuuma, Kirika's three-year boyfriend, the thirty-year-old male programmer had been really serious and quiet, only speaking when addressed to and keeping to himself the rest of the time. He wasn't unfriendly, just very reserved—perfect for Kirika really, who in contrast was quite a chatterbox around the people she was comfortable with. Not only that, Yuuma was very good at what he did; and he was also the one who introduced Tenten to Zaku. The two men had been colleagues at one point of their lives; Zaku worked at Yuuma's office for a short period of time before he decided to quit and pursue his 'real' passion, which happened to be sleeping in and lazying around all day.

Seriously, thinking about it now, how could she have thought that Zaku was _attractive_? While he wasn't bad-looking, that man was only a little more than a cheating, lying bastard who cared more for himself than her. And to think that she had spent _two_ years of her life on him… she shuddered just thinking about it.

Thank God for Neji. He was _worlds_ better than Zaku ever was.

"The wedding is in three months," Kirika sat up straight, reaching for her notebook and copying a phone number from her phone screen. "That's October. Do you think your parents can make it?"

"I think so, yes," Tenten shrugged. "They've been wanting to visit me anyway so your wedding should be the perfect time to come, right? I'll give them a call tonight, talk to them about it." She peered at the list of guests that Kirika was writing down. "Do you want me to talk to Sakura, too?"

"Yeah, I have her name written down somewhere," Kirika tapped at her list thoughtfully. "Her invitation should come in the mail sooner or later. Hmm… oh!" she looked up at Tenten, her face brightening in sudden inspiration. "You should take your new boyfriend with you, Ten. What's his name again?"

Tenten laughed at her cousin's excitement. "Neji," she answered. "Sure, I'll take him."

"You should, he's hot_. _Black hair, white eyes… _hot_," Kirika looked at her mischievously. "Oh, don't look so surprised. You haven't introduced me to him but that doesn't mean I haven't done my own research. I have my ways, you know."

"Let's hope they're all legal."

Kirika gasped in mock theatrics. "How could you!"

"Just saying," Tenten shrugged. "Face it, Kiri, your ways aren't always… appropriate. Don't give me that look! I still remember that time when you dragged me to 'investigate' this old crush of yours, okay? I also still remember what happened. You landed all of us—including him—in detention!"

"That was the first year of university!"

"And I was your decoy."

"I didn't have anyone else! I only knew you then! Besides, who knew Takashi would scream like that and scare the instructor that he fell into the swimming pool and gave us detention?"

The romance novelist rolled her eyes, though her lips curved into an almost impish smile. "What do you think Yuuma would say if he knew you went into the boys' locker room to get a good look at Takashi?"

"What do you think _Neji_ would say if he knew _you_ went into the boys' locker room to get—"

"Ah, but I didn't went willingly. You blackmailed me."

Kirika only grinned. "I had my hope that you'd forget about that already."

"No way!" the bun-haired woman laughed. "If we're doing wedding toasts, that's going to be one of the first things I'll mention, Kiri: how you so cleverly blackmailed me into snooping with you. And to think that his abs weren't even that great…"

"I didn't know that," Kirika mumbled regretfully, blue eyes downcast. "The only time I'd seen his abs was when the wind blew his shirt, you know. And I had to check! Everyone was crazy about him."

"Everyone was crazy about him until he gave out that girly scream thinking we were evil spirits, that is. We ruined him, Kiri!"

"Oh hush you, we didn't," Kirika huffed. "We got him a girlfriend. An understanding girlfriend who loved him for who he really was instead of the Mr. Popular he kept showing us. We went to the wedding, Tenten! We were there, we saw them get married!"

"Well, it _is_ true love," Tenten laughed. That much was right; the 'girly scream' incident had landed Takashi a girlfriend in front of which he didn't have to pretend.

"It's true love," agreed Kirika, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear and refocused on her list. "Hey, Ten, you know what? We should go on a double date sometime soon, I'm sure Yuuma would love to meet Neji."

The romance novelist paused. "That sounds like a great idea, actually," she admitted, "I don't know when he'll be free, though. He's been really busy, the only times I've met him is when he comes here or when I go to his house!"

"Comes with the job," Kirika said sympathetically. "Yuuma also stays at the office really late sometimes, especially when he's revising a program. I bet Neji's even busier than that, sometimes. But it's going fine, yes? Better than… it was with Zaku?"

"Oh, Neji's excellent." Brown eyes softened as an almost wistful expression settled on Tenten's face. "He's nothing like Zaku. He may not speak as much but he doesn't need to, you know? And he makes me feel so…"

The interior designer supplied, "Safe?"

"Safe, yes," Tenten laughed. "I was going for _happy_, actually. It's like I don't have to worry that he'll ever cheat on me. Guess this, his ex-girlfriend's name is Kin, too."

Kirika's blue eyes widened. "Like the woman Zaku cheated on you with?"

"Yeah."

"That's… unusual."

"I know."

"Could they be the same person?" Kirika wondered. "I mean, there aren't that many Kins in this world. I don't even know anyone named like that."

"They shouldn't be," Tenten shrugged. "We haven't talked about it much, but Neji doesn't seem like the type of person who would go out with a woman like Kin, you know? I don't think he's… patient enough."

"Maybe," the blue-eyed woman conceded. "Still, Ten? I think you better check. Talk to him about it, just to make sure. Nothing wrong with that."

The romance novelist blinked. "Why are you so worried?"

"I'm just looking out for you," said the designer softly, reaching forward to squeeze Tenten's hand. "It's the kind of things cousins do, right? I don't want you to get hurt."

Tenten smiled. "Thanks. I'll be careful."

"Just take it as I'm bribing you not to share that Takashi incident at my wedding. Yuuma knows, but my parents don't and I have a feeling they might kill me if they know I went into the boys' locker room on purpose. Imagine them killing me on my wedding day! Do you know how tragic is that?" Blue eyes wide, Kirika looked like as if she was really imagining it, before her expression turned earnest and she met her cousin's gaze. "Just… promise me you'll check? As soon as possible?"

Though she looked stern, Tenten's eyes were warm. "Fine," she promised, "I'll ask him about it tonight."

Kirika beamed. "That's my girl!"

—

"… and she wants you to come to her wedding, basically," Tenten narrated to Neji as they rode the elevator up to his apartment on the seventeenth floor, "It's still three months away, but do you think you can come?"

"Which cousin is this?" Neji asked.

The elevator dinged and they both strode out and made their way to the flat. "Kirika's my closest cousin, the one I went to university with. She's also the one who made me accompany her to the boys' locker room—I told you about that, didn't I?"

"No." White eyes turned to her even as he fished out his key and inserted it into the lock with deadly precision. "You haven't, actually. What boys' locker room?"

_Cripes_, Tenten thought, offering Neji a sheepish smile as she filled in the story. "It's one of the most embarrassing things that has ever happened to me," she said when she was done, "Seriously, for someone to think that we were ghosts! It wasn't like we were dressed up or something."

The corners of his lips curved upwards as they entered his apartment. "Will you be wearing a dress?"

Though taken aback with the question, she nodded, her expression puzzled. "Of course! I'm the maid of honor."

The smirk on his face widened, something akin to mischief gleaming in white eyes. "I'll come."

As Neji went to take a shower, Tenten settled on his couch, opening her laptop to work a bit more. Ever since her last novel became quite a bit of a hit, her editor Rima had been extra hard on her, demanding that she worked twice as hard to keep it up. Between writing for magazines and for her own novel, she had less free time for herself now. The old Lee would have been both proud and concerned—proud because she was improving but more concerned because she was throwing herself more and more into work—but ever since he met Neji last weekend, it seemed like her male best friend was convinced that she was 'living the life' and was contented with it.

Humming to herself as her fingers tapped on her keyboard, Tenten concentrated on her work before the landline phone suddenly rang, distracting her. Straightening up, she reached for it, "Hello?"

"Hello, can I speak to—wait, is that you, Tenten?" Hinata's soft voice came through.

"Yeah, it's me," she replied. "What's up, Hinata? Neji's in the shower."

"Oh, so that's why he doesn't pick up my calls!" the Hyuuga heiress said, sounding relieved. "Oh, okay. Um. He's… uh, he's needed at the office, Tenten. Can you tell him that? I—I'm sorry for disrupting your evening… but it's kind of urgent, so…"

Laughter escaped the writer's lips, more for Hinata's benefit than for herself. Poor Hinata must have been fretting about, and Tenten could just see her concerned and apologetic face in her mind. "It's fine," she told her, "I'll tell him once he's done, and I'll make sure he'll be there as soon as possible, okay?"

"Okay. Um… thank you so much, Tenten. I…"

Tenten quickly reassured her. "It's no problem at all, really."

There was a slight pause before Hinata returned with a stuttered goodbye and another thank you and Tenten hung up. It was another two minutes before Neji came out of the bathroom, dressed in the collared shirt she bought for him about a month ago and casual pants.

When he looked at her, she smiled. "Hinata called," she said, "You're needed at the office as soon as possible. You should go, Neji. She said it's urgent, and she needs you."

"Oh. But you—"

Her lips curved into a bright smile. "I'll be fine," she told him, gesturing to her laptop, "I have work to do, anyway."

He looked at her, white eyes scrutinizing her face before he sighed. "Stay."

Tenten blinked. "Really?"

"Stay," Neji repeated, more softly. "Just because I have work doesn't mean I don't—or I won't—have time to spend with you. I'll be back."

Slender brows rose above mocha-colored eyes. "You're going to trust me with your home?"

"Yes," he answered, and then mischief tugged on the corners of his lips as he fought to keep his mirth at bay, "as long as you promise you'll have dinner first. We can have supper later, when I get back."

She grinned. "I'll order."

"That would be ideal."

Her grin widened even more. The last time she cooked at his place she had turned the kitchen into a haphazard, chaotic mess that the cleaning up process had taken three hours. While she was pleased with the results—her beef bourguignon, while not exactly mouth-watering, turned out to be pretty okay—he wasn't happy that she spent more time cleaning up rather than eating with him. That had been about ten days ago, and while she had plans to cook more at his place (his kitchen was perfect for risk-takers such as herself), he didn't need to know that.

After Neji left, Tenten ordered some Korean food from the restaurant down the block. The dishes arrived in about thirty minutes and she ate alone, the only sound heard was from the TV she turned on. For about an hour she watched _Castle_, until at about eight PM the doorbell rang and she leapt to her feet to open the door.

Much to her utmost surprise, it was Kin.

"You!"

"You!"

For a moment the two women stared at each other, before Kin suddenly grabbed the door and swung it forcibly, glancing at the apartment number. When she realized it was, indeed, the correct one, she glared at Tenten, flipping her long midnight black hair behind her shoulder as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Tenten. What the hell are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the very same thing."

Dismissing her cold tone, Kin blew her bangs away from her face. "You know Neji?" she demanded huffily, "Wait. Don't tell me—you're Neji's _girlfriend_, aren't you?"

Brown eyes narrowed at the figure in front of her. "What's it to you?"

"Tenten," Kin sighed, sounding almost bored, as she cocked her hips to the side. "I'm his ex-girlfriend."

"Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me." Tenten muttered aloud, massaging her temple with her fingers as she groaned. God, she _should_ have seen this coming! Even _Kirika_ did, and she hadn't even met Neji yet. She was cursed—that would be the only logical explanation—and _Kin_ was her curse.

Kin only waved her hand dismissively. "Is Neji inside?"

"No, he's not."

"Can I come inside?"

"You—" Tenten stopped herself from cursing, for it wouldn't be of use, especially with someone like Kin. "No. No, you can't. Seriously, Kin. Of all the people in the world, you chose Neji. Do you have a grudge on me or something? Some unfinished business? Or are you always only interested in people who are taken?"

The black-haired woman smiled winsomely, her dark eyes glittering prettily. "I don't have a grudge on you, Tenten, darling," she answered breezily, "Don't flatter yourself. Oh, and I'm not only interested in people who are taken, so to speak. I'm interested in people who're worth something, and Neji definitely is—especially compared to Zaku, am I right? You should know that as well as I do. As for unfinished business," her eyes gleamed even more brightly, "I only have some with Neji, not you."

"Okay," Tenten sighed, reaching for the door handle.

But before she could close the door, Kin extended her arm and pushed it wide open. "But you know," she continued wickedly, "I suppose I should relax if it's you instead of anyone else. I should be thankful."

Brown eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I know how to snatch a guy from you," Kin said. "We've been down this road before. Why should this be any harder, right?"

Tenten stared at the woman in front of her incredulously. She had always had a feeling that Kin, despite the very few times they have met, was sort of… proud, for the lack of a better word, but tonight she had just proven herself to be even more conceited than everyone Tenten had met before, almost like an insolent _brat_. She didn't know why she expected better, though—she really shouldn't have.

"Anyway," Kin released her grip on the door, tapping her heel patiently as she studied Tenten's face, "Just tell Neji I'm looking for him. He'll know where to find me. Did you know, Tenten," she leaned in suddenly, her voice dipping into a low, husky purr, "that we had coffee together recently?"

At her taunt, Tenten willed herself to stay calm though there was nothing more she wanted to do than slam the door in her face—but that wouldn't be any good. That would only prove to Kin that she was insecure, uncertain, worried about her relationship with Neji, and she couldn't have that now, especially now. Taking a deep breath, she narrowed her eyes at the woman standing haughtily in front of her as her lips curved into a sneer.

"It must have slipped off my mind, Kin," she said, voice coated with sarcasm yet as sweet and thick as dark honey, "because apparently you're not important enough to be remembered."

Kin's dark eyes narrowed, but her lips twisted. "I don't believe you."

The bun-haired woman shrugged, "You don't have to."

"You're right," Kin nodded. "I don't have to. Hey, want to know a secret?"

"No."

"I'll pretend that's a yes, so listen carefully. Why don't you go check the drawer under his coffee table? It's still the wooden one with the carvings, right?"

At her correct guess, Tenten stiffened slightly, but she didn't say anything.

"Go check, Tenten dear. You'll _love_ what you'll find there."

With that, Kin turned around and headed for the elevator, her designer high heels soundless against the cream-colored carpet of the hallway. It was when she finally disappeared from view that Tenten closed the door quietly, a sinking feeling in the bottom of her stomach as she went inside the living room.

Laying a tentative hand on the slick, smooth surface of the coffee table, she stared at the object for a while, contemplating on what she was about to do. The table had three large drawers under it, and she knew that this was where Neji kept his most-looked-for things, such as newspapers and stationary and others. She opened the utmost left drawer first, finding a bunch of envelopes, a stack of pens, and other writing materials in it. Moving on, the utmost right drawer contained empty folders lest he needed one as soon as possible, for he often worked at home as well as at the office. When Tenten opened the drawer in the middle, a bunch of newspapers greeted her.

And then she noticed it.

—

At ten minutes to eleven, Neji returned to the apartment after a rather heinous meeting, expecting to see Tenten asleep on the couch or working on her laptop.

Instead, all he got was a small Post-It note on top of his coffee table:

_Neji,_

_Dinner's in the fridge. Make sure you take the lid off when you reheat. I had to go, sorry. _

_-Tenten_

_PS: Kin came at about eight. She said you'll know where to find her._

—

**tbc.**

—

OCs can be such wonderful things.


	11. of late realizations that shatter

**eleven.**

—

When Tenten walked into the cafe, she immediately understood why Kin asked them to meet there. The corner booth was secluded, separated from the rest of the tables. It was the perfect place to have a heart-to-heart talk, although she highly doubted that was what she came here for.

Kin was sitting down on the armchair, a laptop in front of her. She smiled when she noticed Tenten. "I didn't expect you to be so early."

The brunette glanced at her watch, her eyebrows dipping into a frown. "It's ten minutes past six. You told me to come at six."

"Early," Kin repeated. "I'm actually surprised you came at all."

"What…" Tenten shook her head, deciding to drop the subject. She slid into the seat across of Kin. "Never mind. I only have about an hour, so let's jump right into it. Why did you want to meet me?"

"Let's order first," Kin suggested, handing Tenten a menu. When the novelist opened her mouth to protest, she waved a hand. "I'm not going to take no for an answer."

Sighing, Tenten surrendered, though she was too uncomfortable to order anything but a cup of coffee. As soon as their drinks came, Kin reclined on her seat, crossing toned legs ceremoniously as she sipped her own drink: a grande caffe mocha, no sugar, no whipped cream, extra hot with half skim milk and half full milk. Tenten had rolled her eyes when she placed the order, but apparently the waiter was used to it already; he barely batted an eyelash.

"Seeing as you're not all that opposed to meeting me, I daresay you did what I suggested," Kin said, leaning back on her chair. "What did you find, Tenten?"

"A ring with your family's name on it," Tenten answered dully, congratulating herself when her voice didn't waver. A lesser woman might have exploded right then and there, but Tenten had two weeks to fully accept the fact. Besides, she was much too prideful to show Kin how actually bothered she was by it. "Why, did you want me to steal it for you?"

"Hardly," Kin scoffed. "If I want it back, I'll take it back myself. That's not my concern. Instead…" she paused, reaching into her bag. When she presented her hand to Tenten, caged between her fingers was a small velvet box, the character 'Hyuuga' embroidered on its surface. "Instead, I want to show you this. Neji gave it to me, in return for the ring. You know what this means, don't you?"

Fingering the handle of her mug, Tenten sipped her drink, eyeing the box impassively. "That you're in some elaborate scheme to trick him into marrying you?" she asked. "Yes."

Kin's laughter was deceptively silken. "I'm surprised," she admitted. "I thought you'd be much more affected."

"You're losing your touch." Tenten's smile was dry. "Look, Kin, if you called me to gloat, you're wasting our time. I have better things to do. Try again."

Kin chuckled. "Fine then," she said, returning the box into her bag. "Look, there's something I want Neji to see, but he's ignoring me. I'm desperate, Tenten. You have to help me."

"And why would I ever want to do that?" she asked. "I don't owe you anything."

The black-haired woman tapped on her chin thoughtfully, and then smiled. "Because after this, you will. Owe me something, that is," she said. Slowly, she pulled out an envelope from her bag. "You might find this interesting."

Tenten eyed the item suspiciously. It was white with nothing written on it, and it looked just like any other envelope. "What's this?"

"Just open it."

There was challenge in Kin's eyes and Tenten cursed inwardly. She fingered the envelope and then opened it, knowing that the longer she took to do it, the longer she would have to sit here right across from Kin, pretending to be indifferent to things when in reality she wanted to chuck the table at her face. There was only a photograph inside the envelope, and Tenten froze as she took it in. The boy in the picture was barely two years old and his features were all Kin's, but he was holding the Hyuuga family crest, and all she could think of was:

_They have a son._

"This…" Tenten couldn't stop her voice from shaking as the thought sank into her mind, the shock numbing the acceleration of her heart. "This is…"

"His name is Satoshi," Kin said. "I had him nearly two years ago."

—

Neji sat down on his desk, brows furrowed and fountain pen poised in slender fingers. There were more than twenty documents in front of him, spread out on the tabletop.

He let out a frustrated groan and tipped back his seat, looking out the window for some kind of a reprieve. _Everything_ was driving him crazy: the deals that were falling all over the place, the Hyuuga's, his father's restaurant… he was tired beyond belief and yet he was _still_ swamped with work. Even working at home like he was doing now wasn't enough to propel him into a level of productiveness that was close to being sufficient.

The click of his front door snapped him to attention and the Hyuuga stood up in response, his body reacting before his mind caught up.

"Hi," he said as soon as Tenten appeared on the doorway. He couldn't quite hide the pleased surprise from his face. "I thought you were having dinner with Sakura."

"I cancelled." Her face was serious, and Neji had a sinking feeling that she didn't come only to see him. True to his prediction, she looked at him expectantly. "Are you busy? There's something I think we need to talk about."

He shuffled his weight between his foot, and then gestured to the sofa. "Shall we sit?"

She shook her head. "You can sit if you want to."

That definitely didn't sound good. "If you're standing then I'm standing, too."

After a few beats of awkward, tense silence, Tenten relented. She edged a little bit closer to the sofa though she didn't sit down. "Did you know," she began, almost tentatively, "that your ex-girlfriend is the girl my ex cheated on me with?"

"Kin?" he frowned. "I… I had a hunch."

"Well, I didn't. Not at all," she shrugged. "So imagine my surprise when she came waltzing here that one night when you were at the meeting."

"Is this what you want to talk about?"

"It's a part of it," she told him. "She asked me to meet up today."

The space between his eyebrows creased. "Don't tell me she's bothering you."

"Not until recently."

He closed his eyes and opened them again, using his right hand to massage his temple. "What did you talk about?"

"She wanted me to pass you a few things," Tenten said. The look she gave him was pregnant, as if she was expecting him to butt in with something, anything at all, but he didn't. "One of them is a message. Something along the lines of… if you want the Hyuuga family crest back, you should get it yourself. In exchange for the ring."

Neji froze. "You knew."

"About the ring?" Tenten asked. "Yes."

"Since when?"

She smiled dryly. "Since the night she came," she admitted. "It's a bit surprising that she knows exactly where you're keeping it. She knows you very well, Neji."

"Are you angry?"

Her gaze paused on him, and he could almost see her mind working it out. "Not about this," she said eventually. It was the truth. She was not frivolous enough to blame him for something he couldn't prevent, like the fact that Kin was his ex-girlfriend or that she was looking for him. "Not about the ring, either. I want to hear about it, though. How long were you engaged for?"

To his credit, the Hyuuga didn't attempt to deny it. "Six months."

"You wanted to marry her."

"At one brief point in my life, I did."

She nodded slowly. "I figured. You didn't seem like the type who would propose if you didn't really want her. You still don't." Her hands were beginning to tremble, and Tenten hid them behind her back, curling them into her shirt. "So why didn't you marry her?"

"She was… pregnant."

At the answer, Tenten rummaged in her bag, retrieving an envelope and handing it to him. "The child in the picture," she prompted as he pulled out the photograph, white eyes widening ever so slightly. "That's her son, yes?"

"Satoshi."

Tenten nodded, feeling faint. A part of her had been bracing herself for this to happen, but hearing Neji say his name just made it all seem more… real. More like the truth; more like the secret he fought so hard to keep. Biting her lower lip to keep it from trembling, she dared herself to look right into his eyes. "Is he yours?"

"Satoshi?" The surprise on his face was almost visible as the corners of his lips tightened. "No. _No_. You… you thought he was?"

His pearly white gaze was full of hurt, and Tenten suddenly felt very foolish indeed. Relief stole into her face but it was immediately replaced by a sense of restless anxiety that kept her hands shaking.

"I don't know what to believe anymore," she admitted finally. "Sometimes it feels like I don't know you at all, Neji. You… you didn't even tell me you were engaged."

"I didn't tell you because it has already passed," Neji's eyes were hard. "I didn't mean to hide things from you."

The barely concealed impatience in his voice made her snap and red-hot anger coursed through her body, so potent that it sent her head spinning. "You didn't mean to hide it from me," she said incredulously, raising her chin so that she could meet his gaze. "You didn't _mean_ to hide it from me. So what happened, then? We've been together for a while and you've had every chance to own up to it and tell me. Why didn't you? Did you forget?" her voice was rising and she hated the way she sounded; shrill and desperate and uncontrollable, "Was the moment never right? Did it completely slip from your mind?" her eyes turned cold. "You can't honestly expect me to believe _that_."

His brows furrowed into a frown. "I didn't think it would matter."

Tenten choked. "You think the fact that you were engaged, that you wanted to marry her and would have married her if she wasn't pregnant doesn't matter _at all_?"

"It's a chapter of my life that I don't want to revisit," he replied, the baritone of his voice flat. He caught her gaze and then sighed wearily. "I thought you of all people would understand that."

Something in his baritone was charged with accusations and Tenten flinched. "What do you mean?"

"You told me you'd understand if I keep things from you. You told me you're okay with that."

Tenten flashed back to the day he asked her to move in with him and she refused. "I told you I'd wait," she said, all the anger suddenly evaporating and leaving her feeling very empty. "I told you it was okay for the time being. Not—not _forever_." She paused, shook her head. "But you were never going to tell me this, were you, Neji?"

His lips tightened. "You're right," he admitted finally, words clipped, "I never wanted to tell you. If I did, things would have been different."

"Things _are_ different, even if you didn't tell me!" she paused, hesitated. "You're not over it, are you?"

The Hyuuga scoffed, arms over his chest, "I'm over her."

"But you're not over what she did to you," Tenten countered, eyes sad. "You're not over the fact that she was pregnant with someone else's child just when you were getting married. You're not over the fact that _she_ betrayed _you_. If you are," she raised a hand when he opened his mouth to protest, "If you are, you wouldn't be so angry if I brought it up."

His fingers grabbed her wrist in a grip that was almost painful in its desperation. "What I feel for her is nothing like love. It's closer to hate."

"That's even worse," Tenten argued. "It just means that she's always haunting you in your head. It just means that you've never fully forgotten her, not even—not even when you're around me."

Neji's eyes widened and for a split second, there were cracks in his demeanor that made him look so very vulnerable and not at all like the strong, composed man she knew and loved that she had to look away.Her heart began to pound brutally in her chest, and she knew she could never, _never_, make him look this way.

This man, she realized, was never hers. Not even for a while. Not even for a little.

She wrenched her hands away and stepped back, out of his reach. "I… I'm going to ask you only once, Neji, and I want you—no, I can only _wish_ that you'd answer me honestly…" she gestured between them, "What are we? What is _this_? Am I… Am I just a replacement until Kin's back? Did you—" her lips trembled, "Did you ever cheat on me?"

The shock was apparent in his eyes, but she was too hurt to care. "No," he replied hoarsely when his surprise at her insinuation had dissipated, and Tenten hated herself for the reassurance that still managed to sneak into her heart. "No, of course I didn't cheat on you. Tenten, I would never—I would never do that. Ever since I met you, it has always been you. Only you. This is not a lie."

Her smile was bitter. "I don't know what to trust anymore."

"Trust me," he insisted. Something in her posture, the tilt of her shoulders, the protective way she held her arms in front of her body, sent alarms ringing in his head and he stepped forward. "Trust _me_."

"You don't get it, do you?" she whispered, "The problem is that even after all this time, you still can't forget her."

"Tenten—"

She shook her head, disappointment clouding her gaze. "The problem is that even now, she's still the one who occupies the largest part of your mind."

"_Tenten_—"

She ignored him. "The problem is that even after all this time—"

In a moment of sheer desperation he sealed his lips to hers, making her swallow the stream of words that were threatening to pour. But Tenten would have none of it; she planted her hands on his chest and pushed, _hard_, and he staggered backwards, bumping into the table. Furiously, she wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand, this time unable to keep the tears from forming in the corners of her eyes. The silence that seized them was heavy, an iron weight that was too sharp to hold and yet impossible to cut.

She took this chance to take him in with her eyes: the disbelief smoldering in silver eyes, the slight movement of his Adam's apple as he swallowed, the trembling of his shoulders, and her throat clicked wetly. Her next words shattered him sharp and cold, like frost-tipped needles jabbing into the veins around his heart:

"I can't do this anymore," she whispered. "_I don't want to._"

Inconsolable guilt twisted his stomach into a thousand knots, but Neji was too angry to notice. "You're giving up on me," he accused as she picked up her bag and hitched it up her shoulder, "You're giving up on _us_."

The last look she gave him was heartbreaking, and he realized with a sinking feeling that she really was leaving him.

"There is no us," she whispered, her fingers curling around the brass doorknob, white in her tight grip, "There never was."

In her wake, the door slammed with a finality that permeated the air and made the windows vibrate. He did not chase her.

—

**tbc. **

—

Ohai, trouble.


	12. of restlessness and forced day offs

Since things moved a bit fast last time, here's a more contemplative chapter. It isn't as dramatic but I hope it's enjoyable anyway.

—

**twelve.**

—

Tenten leaned on the kitchen counter, a heavy sigh sliding past her lips as she curled her fingers around her second cup of tea that day. Sunlight streamed through the slits of the window, delinquent in its brightness and hurting her eyes.

Last night she had gone straight home, planning to pig out on chocolate and ice cream. Sakura had been there, and their lemon chicken and rice dinner had turned to deep heart-to-heart conversations and watching _Friends_ reruns on DVD until six in the morning. They would still be watching had Sakura not remembered about work, promptly falling asleep on the couch. Tenten really had to hand it to her; with barely two hours of sleep, the woman woke up without an alarm and even managed to prepare some breakfast before she left.

It was good to have friends, Tenten mused as she sipped her chamomile and honey tea slowly. Definitely took her mind off the things she really, _really_ couldn't afford thinking about: the writing rut she was stuck in, the fact that they were canceling some of her favorite TV shows, Neji.

Refilling her cup of tea, the novelist closed her eyes as her mind unwittingly recalled the events that led to last night.

The moment her boiling rage had simmered down, it left a jumble of mixed feelings in its wake. The most prominent one she picked apart was uncertainty: had she been too reckless? Too hasty in making the decision to leave? Once she dismissed it, there had been fury, too; fury at Neji and the way he denied what was so glaringly obvious. The last one was the sinking feeling of disappointment that latched at her throat and made it harder to breathe, though she had no idea who she was more disappointed in, Neji or herself.

He hadn't chased her.

Tenten hadn't really expected him to, but she was neither too arrogant nor vain to admit that the little girl in her—the foolish voice inside her head that she would very much like to beat up—hoped he would. It wouldn't have ended well anyway; she was too angry at that time to really listen, but perhaps, things could have been a little bit different.

Ironically, the very same voice reminded her of this:

_She left first._

Tenten wondered if this made her selfish. Was it selfish when her knee-jerk reaction was to up and vanish at the first sign of disaster? Was it selfish when the moment they teetered on the edge of a downward spiral, she ran away? Was it selfish when she was very, very aware of the fact that she hadn't left for him—but for herself?

It was, she supposed. More than anything else.

Sakura would have stayed, Tenten knew. Most women would have. In a perfect world, _she_, too, would have stayed. After all, she understood how it felt to be stabbed in the back by someone who was supposed to be your forever. She understood the pain, the shock, the sheer disbelief that had come afterwards. Best of all she understood the regret, remembered how it gnawed at the insides of her chest as the inevitable question burst in her head: was it her fault?

Except she couldn't do it.

Neji, she rationalized, had some of his own thinking to do if he hadn't realized he needed to let go of what Kin did to him, and with his plain refusal to talk to her about it, staying wouldn't have helped anything. Some problems were not hers to solve, and most of all…

She wasn't brave enough to love him.

The realization sank heavily in her mind, an iron weight that set into the pit of her stomach and mercilessly churned her insides. Her fingers tightening around her warm cup, Tenten frowned at her reflection on the surface of the liquid. How ironic was it that most of her heroines had willingly charged head first into impossible situations that reeked of heartbreak, throwing away everything they had in the process, and she herself couldn't even let herself take the very first step?

_But you did, once, _a small voice at the back of her head reminded. _You did_.

Zaku.

She knew how that story ended.

Which was why this—leaving Neji—was bound to be a good choice. A smart choice. The right choice.

She just didn't expect it to hurt _this_ much.

—

It was as if a switch in his head had been turned off.

On the twenty-seventh floor of the Hyuuga's Corporation building, Neji was pacing around in his office, feeling very much like punching holes into his goddamned white walls. The words and numbers on the documents completely eluded him and no matter how many times or how slowly he went over the file, letter by letter and line by line, none of them really got through.

Any other time he would have taken a break, but this time it proved useless. If Tenten's words didn't resonate in his head, it was the sight of the disappointment in her brown eyes that sent his chest squeezing painfully. If it wasn't her eyes, then it was the tightening of her lips when he snapped at her out of impatience. If it wasn't that, then it was the look she gave him before she left, sheer desperation and plea shadowed under long lashes that smothered his lungs and numbed the acceleration of his heart. He had no way to clear his head when trying to do so only pushed her into the back of his skull.

Pathetic, Neji decided. Very pathetic.

And indeed it was. With the realization that Tenten was very, very distracting when she wasn't around, it was very pathetic that his mind desperately clung to the very thought of the woman. It was even more pathetic that he actually didn't _want_ to stop thinking about her, even if all it did was confuse him more, hurt him more. It was bordering on being masochistic.

The door to his office suddenly opened and in walked Hinata, the apologetic smile on her face sending warning bells ringing in his head.

"I knocked, but you didn't answer," she said as she closed the door. "Andou told me you've been here since last night. I… I figured I should check if you're feeling okay."

Neji made a mental note to ban his secretary from gossiping all over the place. "I'm fine."

"You don't look like it," she murmured, nodding towards the untouched stack of folders on the corner of his table as she sat down across of him. "The Neji-nii I know would have no work left for the day after staying in the office all night long. You…" concern flitted across her face, "You didn't sleep at all, did you?"

"Well…"

"D-did something happen with Tenten-san?"

Neji immediately jumped on the defensive. "Why is it that you always assume it has anything to do with her?"

"Because you rarely get affected by anything else, Neji-nii," answered Hinata, fiddling with her hands on her lap. It was a nervous habit she still hadn't quite gotten rid of. "Even with Kin-san, you were never this distracted from work. It was always the first thing you prioritized. But when it comes to Tenten-san…" she trailed off.

The Hyuuga let out a groan, embarrassment threatening to color his cheeks. He hadn't realized at all, but ever since they were young, Hinata was pretty much the only one able to read him well. Had he really changed that much? And simply because of _Tenten_?

His cousin misinterpreted his groan as one of frustration. "It's not a bad thing at all," she assured quickly. "It just means that you find her more important than anything else, right? It's a really good thing."

"I doubt that."

"Eh?"

Neji sat down on his chair, tossing the documents aside. He couldn't suppress the wry smile that curled his lips. "She left."

Hinata's eyes widened, and her hands flew to her mouth. "W-what?"

"Last night."

"But… _why_?"

"She had her own reasons," he said eventually.

"Tsuchi Kin," she guessed, and when her cousin didn't reply, sighed. "Tenten didn't hear about her from you, did she."

"She said I'm not over Kin."

"She…" Hinata bit her lip. "She might have a point, actually."

Surprised, he straightened up on his chair. "What?"

Twiddling her fingers quietly, she offered him a tentative smile. "You're one of the kindest people I know, but you really can hold a grudge, niisan. Perhaps… perhaps that's what Tenten-san was talking about."

"A grudge?" Neji echoed, staring at his cousin incredulously. This was the woman who was supposed to understand him very well. This was the woman who _did_ understand him very well, until this very moment came and he found himself utterly confused because all of a sudden it seemed like she understood him too well—much too well for comfort. Swallowing the flurry of questions threatening to spill out of his lips, he settled for asking, "What do you mean?"

She looked nervous. "It's just that every time we b-bring it up… you'll act like it never happened at all," she murmured. "It's like you're denying to yourself that Kin, well… Kin cheated on you. You never wanted to talk about it at all, not even to us. Instead you bottle it all up," she paused, and her voice softened when she continued, "Hanabi and I, we stay quiet because we don't want to mess you up, but we're always concerned that one day you'll burst."

Neji stared at her bewilderedly. He hadn't expected this, least of all from his cousin.

"When Tenten-san appeared, we were kind of relieved," Hinata added, fingers playing with the sleeves of her white blouse as she recalled the night she dined with the novelist. "We thought you were going to tell her, Neji-niisan. We thought you were going to talk to her about it, and we thought… well, we thought that it was going to be okay. It's not healthy to keep things inside of you always," she hesitated. "Something… something has got to give."

"Hinata—"

"Just food for thought," she interrupted, smiling sweetly, voice dismissive all of a sudden. "Something to ponder about, especially since you're getting the rest of the day off." With a flourish that was decidedly almost un-Hinata-like, the heiress pressed a button on his phone and buzzed his secretary in, ignoring his surprise. When Andou entered, chirpy and enthusiastically professional as always, she turned towards him. "Andou, what's on for Neji-niisan today?"

"There's a meeting with the city branch representatives at ten o'clock in Room 7B, and then Nara & Akimichi at one in the same room, and then there's Uchiha Sasuke for a business dinner at seven, venue to be advised," Andou replied, not missing a beat, as if seeing his boss' cousin demanding Neji's schedule was a very everyday thing. "Also, Yamamoto Sachi called five minutes ago to ask if someone can come down to Meguro for a while. There seems to be a problem with the spa facility."

Hinata nodded, lilac eyes falling upon her cousin. When Neji stared back with an almost incredulous expression on his face, she turned back to Andou. "If y-you can move the meeting with Nara and Akimichi to twelve and make it a lunch m-meeting—at Azami's, preferably, it would be great," she said after contemplating her options for a while. Her voice was polite but it grew increasingly certain with every word and it left no room for arguments or protests of any kind. A smile spreading on her lips at the visible surprise on the secretary's face, she continued, "Please prepare a car right now for Neji-nii to go home, Andou. I'll… I'll take over."

"Alright," Andou replied. "Anything else, Hinata-sama?"

She tapped her fingers to her chin, looking thoughtful. "I would like the files for the Meguro branch on my desk after this, please."

"Consider it done," Andou nodded. To Neji's chagrin, he had the nerve to avoid the Hyuuga's warning glare, choosing instead to focus on Hinata's face, the corners of his lips twitching in suppressed amusement.

"Thank you, Andou. Your help is very appreciated."

Neji watched in quiet outrage as his secretary—_his_ secretary!—left the room. "Hinata—"

"You're tired, Neji-nii," she interrupted him softly, concern creasing the space between her brows into a frown. "I may not be as efficient as you are at work, but these things are the things I can help you with. So p-please," she reached out to touch his hand, "Please let me help you."

On her lips was a smile she knew he couldn't resist, and Neji knew he was doomed—not, he decided, that he was willing to go down without a fight.

—

Eventually it was his stone-headed persistence that sent Hinata over the edge. She personally issued an order to everyone in the building, saying that under absolutely no circumstances was Hyuuga Neji allowed to enter.

"Please, Neji-sama!" one of the guards pleaded when he caught Neji sneaking in through the backdoor, close to crying. "_Please_! I have a family!"

And so it was official.

Hinata very rarely got angry at all, but it seemed like all hell broke loose every time she did. Neji understood that he should remain silent until her ire dissolved away—which, theoretically, could be in another week. She might be very soft-spoken and harmless-looking, but she was a Hyuuga, after all, and she had inherited the dogged stubbornness that ran in the family.

For his part, Neji couldn't help but to feel a sense of pride surging within him as he climbed into the car in surrender, ready to be whisked away to the destination Hinata had decided for him:

Home.

It was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because at least it wasn't some faraway, nameless land reachable only by ship, and a curse because, well, hell. Wasn't this what he had been avoiding the whole morning?

Nevertheless, exhaustion took over and Neji spent the rest of the day sleeping, only waking up when the sky was already dark. He fixed himself a quick dinner of lemon chicken and rice, and then sat down in front of the TV in his bedroom to flip through the channels.

Hinata must be dining with Uchiha Sasuke right about now, he mused, glancing at the clock. It was almost eight, and… what was it that he normally did on Friday nights?

_Probably spending time with Tenten._

The traitorous thought slipped into his mind and sank heavily, his good mood evaporating just like that as he remembered. His hands itched to take the phone to call her, but recalling how furious she had been last night, it didn't seem like such a good idea.

His eyes suddenly caught something lying on the floor of his dresser, and curiosity heightened, Neji pulled it out to inspect it. It was a plastic bag full of new clothes, and with a pang he realized that these were the ones Tenten bought for him.

Slowly he took out the clothes from the bag, laying them out on the bed one by one. He wasn't a particularly fussy dresser but he did have his preferences, and it was obvious that Tenten thought of everything for him: color, style, even brand. Each and every one of them looked exactly like something right out of his wardrobe. She had wanted him to wear them, but he had always thought they were rather precious, only to be worn on really special occasions.

He never did get the chance.

As he reached for the plastic bag discarded on the right side of his bed, he noticed that there was a folded slip of paper tucked in the cuff of one of the shirts. It was a small note with a painfully familiar handwriting:

_You finally decided to wear these, huh? Took you long enough. Don't forget to separate the colors from the whites when you're doing your laundry. The girl in the shop promised me the color won't bleed, but you can never be too careful with new clothes. That said, I hope these are warm enough for the winter. :)_

Neji read it once, and then twice, smoothing out the creases on the paper with his thumb. _Tenten_. His eyes flickered over the paper, pausing only when he noticed the fine print on the bottom right corner, letters unfolding in the same familiar handwriting, except so small it was barely noticeable:

_PS: Getting tired of my notes yet?_

—

**to be continued.**

—

I spent hours agonizing over how to connect the title with the story (which is somewhat my fault, I guess, since I fell in love with the line the moment I listened to _Through the Glass_ and didn't think too deeply about it). The "notes" theme will come into play sometime in the future, so tell me if it doesn't float your boat or anything. :D

Also, since an anon got mad at me for not having an excuse for my lack of updates these past few months, here's one: with me, real life _always _takes precedence. Fanfiction is simply a creative outlet for me, one that I enjoy immensely, but real life will always be my priority. Secondly, I'd rather wait than publish a half-assed chapter that's probably only going to dig me a bigger hole. So. Uh. It's nothing dramatic, but there you have it. Please try to understand, anon. :/

All housekeeping stuff aside, a belated Merry Christmas and while it's a bit early, Happy New Year to you all! Thank you very much for still having more faith in me than myself.


	13. of little notes and acceptance

**thirteen.**

—

They were everywhere.

He found one stuck on the front page of a magazine, one slipped between the pages of a book he never finished reading, another curled around a pen he rarely used. He discovered some in his kitchen: folded on the bottom of an untouched mug, behind a chocolate chip cookie jar on the counter, on a new pack of dishwashing liquid in the top cabinet. Others were placed in the strangest, most inconspicuous of places, almost as if she never wanted him to find them: on the roof of his desk, slipped under the orange tablecloth draped over the mantelpiece, behind an old, dusty trophy he had gotten for winning a debate competition in high school.

Some were very simple and everyday, with messages like _Don't forget to eat breakfast_, or _Take your vitamin every day_or even _This expires September 15, be careful_! Others were rather quirky, describing fun facts or random pieces of observation that came seemingly out of nowhere. Whatever the content, all of them sounded so amazingly like her that he could almost hear her voice in his head, reading out the words written on the small, colorful slips of paper.

_If you found this, then it must mean you're thinking of cooking,_ said a piece of purple-colored note stuck between two containers of spices on the spice rack_. Basil tastes good with tomatoes, onions, garlic and olives. If you still don't know what to make, I left a recipe book on the bottom drawer. :D_

_A woman on the 32rd floor sells really delicious meat buns,_said another slipped between a bookend and a classic novel by Joseph Heller._She takes orders by phone until 11 pm. Remember her on the days you're working late. More importantly, remember to__sleep__!_

How was it, Neji wondered as he spread the notes out on his coffee table, that he went on for so long not knowing she had done such a thing? How was it that he was completely oblivious to her attempts to make him smile even when she wasn't around? How was it that he never saw this—never saw _her_—at all, even when it—she—was right there in front of him?

He knew the answer: because he had fought her tooth and nail without realizing it himself.

In all reality, a part of him had yearned to tell Tenten the truth since a long time ago. Every time they talked, even if it was about something completely different, he had wanted to seize her hands and just open up. _I was engaged to someone,_he longed to say. _She was pregnant with another man's child, and I don't think I'm ever fully whole after that_.

Tenten made him feel like he could trust her with anything. She made him feel like he could trust her with _everything_. Not only was it strange, it was also irrational and very possibly the most foolish thing he had ever wanted to do.

And it scared him_shitless._

It scared him so much how sometimes he felt like she could see right _through_ him, could read every thought and hear every word even when he didn't know them yet himself. It scared him so much how it was as if she could sense every reaction before every touch. It scared him so much that even with the way she made him feel—so vulnerable and transparent he thought he might die—all he wanted to do was to take that risk and _hold_ her.

The last time he bared himself so completely to someone, she turned and slapped him across the face, _hard_.

Yet these… these gave him all the confirmation he needed and cast away all the fear that burned feverishly inside of him, the stewing mess in his head that forced his feet to stay rooted to the floor on the night she left.

How was it that he ever believed, ever so much given a _thought_, that Tenten was just like everybody else when she wasn't, not even close?

There was no way he was going to let her go without a fight, Neji decided. There was no way he was going to let her go _at all_.

He opened the middle drawer of the table and reached for the box, fingers clenching against the soft velvety finish. Fueled by a new sense of determination, he rose to his feet and grabbed his car keys. If he was going to do this, then god of all gods, for once and for all, he was going to do this the only way that could save them both. He was a fool, but he was not going to be that man again. Not anymore.

This time, he was going to do it _right._

—

Kin reached for the tips of her toes, spine arching into a languid, closing stretch. The burning on the lower part of her back was painful but very welcome, considering she barely had time for flexibility exercises anymore and they were vital to her career as a dance teacher. As she breathed in and out, counting the rhythm of her heartbeats in the silence, she closed her eyes and tried to relax. This was until the door to her dance studio opened and she jerked up at the sound, concentration shattered.

"Neji," she said as soon as she saw the man on the doorsill, quickly rising to her feet. She crossed the floor in five steps, switching off the CD player in one corner of the room. "What brings you here?"

The Hyuuga didn't move an inch, white eyes following her slow, calculated movements in the mirror behind her. "It's about time we get rid of unfinished business," he replied calmly when the music had completely faded. "I want my family's crest back, Kin."

"I don't have it with me," she answered quietly, lifting her chin to meet his gaze carefully. "I suppose Tenten already knows everything. Did she talk to you?"

"That's hardly your business," he replied. "What it is that you want from me, it's not her who's standing in your way. It's me."

Her smile was mocking. "Because you don't love me?"

"Because it doesn't have anything to do with love," he responded, the baritone of his voice flat and matter-of-fact. "Because it never did."

Neji was staring at her, the quiet accusation in his gaze clouded by so many emotions at once she could neither pick them apart nor decipher them. He stood tall and firm, holding himself completely still by the door, shoulders squared and spine a perfectly straight line. Even until now he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen—had ever been with, really—and on certain days when she remembered, she regretted what she did.

"Your son," he said suddenly. "He is Zaku's, is he not?"

Kin tipped her head upwards in surprise. One beat, two, and on the third she looked away, nodding slightly. "How long have you known?"

"Two years." And then, more quietly, he added: "I have never forgiven you for that."

She couldn't help the bitter laughter that escaped the constraints of her throat. "I know."

And she did know. Kin might be a bitch, but she was never a liar nor did she like to hide what would inevitably be obvious. They had been at her house the night she told him she was pregnant with another man's child, sitting on the long chairs by her pool. His knuckles had turned scarily white in their clutch to one another and she could practically see the gears of his brain clicking into place. Fury stole into his face, boiling red-hot and then running cold, and then he left, just like that, and she knew then it was over. When she had collected her thoughts and figured out that she should tell Zaku next, he too had disappeared.

Six months later she gave birth to a healthy boy, feeling ashamed, afraid, and infinitely alone.

Life as a single mother was hard. She'd known from the moment Neji left that it wouldn't be a picnic in the park, but she hadn't expected it to be so impossibly _difficult_. Her parents ordered her to hide him from their relatives. A child born out of wedlock was bound to dishonor their family and they couldn't take another hit to their reputation, not after her engagement to one of the most esteemed family in Japan fell through.

"Tell the father!" they had demanded, "Have him claim you and your son. Otherwise, he will never be acknowledged as a Tsuchi!"

And she wanted to. Her baby boy was a beautiful, bouncing little bundle of miracle, with soft black hair and plump, healthy cheeks she wanted to kiss all day long. Surely Zaku would be proud of him.

Her search for him was relentless, her mind fueled by his elated face when he found out. She called all of their mutual acquaintances and finally managed to contact him. His flat out refusal to meet her and the fact that he was in a serious relationship with a woman for the first time in his life hadn't deterred her, not until she saw said woman with her own eyes.

Tenten was her name.

A romance novelist of twenty-three years old with a successful title under her name, she was pretty but not exceptionally so. The only thing that Kin had noticed, right off the bat, was how she was always so happy, always smiling, always laughing. Brown eyes were supposed to be dull but hers always sparkled with warmth and affection, her cheeks blushing a lovely, natural red and her happiness contagious. Kin hated her instantly for being a stark contrast compared to her, desolate and dark after a few months of forced isolation.

She hated Tenten even more when she saw the way Zaku looked at her. Lust she could handle, but this wasn't it. The bastard had never cared for anyone in his life before but he actually truly loved this woman.

Kin was forced to resort to the only way she knew how to win. She caught Zaku just as he was leaving his parents' home and begged him to give her just one chance. A few flirtatious lines, a couple of drinks, playful kisses here and there, and the father of her beloved child was hers.

And then he wasn't.

She woke up to an empty bed and an empty room in a cheap love hotel and understood that she had lost. It was the day she named her child Satoshi, after one year and three months of referring to him as "baby". The only thing she wanted him to be was wise enough when he grew up. "Don't repeat your mother's mistakes," she'd whispered to him every night before bed. He was all she had, and she knew she wouldn't live if something bad ever happened to him.

"The child needs a father," her mother told her one afternoon. It was the second time in Kin's life that her mother acknowledged Satoshi's existence, but Tsuchi Reina offered no comforting words for her one and only daughter; only an advice that sounded more like an ultimatum. "There are a lot of men out there, Kin. Find one that can support both of you financially. Find one that can give this child a respectable status. He is not a Tsuchi and never will be."

A wounded pride did wonders to a person, Kin discovered soon afterwards. She scraped what she could from her savings and sold all her jewelry, using the money to purchase a run-down flat downtown. Thankfully, even when the whole world seemed to stand against her, one place always wouldn't. She signed for her old job at the dance studio and worked as many hours as she could, but providing for a baby was expensive—babysitting services, milk, clothes; whatever it was, she always seemed to have little to no money left.

And then she thought of Neji.

—

Neji watched the woman standing in front of him, so lost in thought that she seemed to have forgotten for that moment where they were. Kin was unmoving save for the steady rise and fall of her chest, but he could tell from the look in her eyes that she was knee-deep in nostalgia.

"It's not forgiveness that I want from you," she murmured eventually, breaking the lengthy silence as she raised her head. "And you're right, it's not love either. Not for me, at least. I don't have many things left and I can't afford to lose anything else." _And with love comes loss._"What I want is…" she stepped in front of him, "What I want is a father for my son."

"Did you tell Zaku about Satoshi?"

"Yes."

The Hyuuga didn't have to ask to know how _that_ turned out, but she told him anyway:

"He disappeared right after," she said, words strained. "He's not a good man, Neji. I think you of all people know what he did to Tenten."

Neji closed his eyes for a moment, trying to name every unbidden emotion coursing through him: fury at Zaku, for being able to affect his life even when they had never even _met_ before; the bitterness that resulted from Kin's quiet admittance; the regret that Tenten—_Tenten,_who was sweet and kind and who didn't deserve any of this—had to be involved in this whole damned_mess_.

All of this soon faded away and morphed into disbelief, however. "If my memory serves me right, _you_ seduced him."

"I had to tell him about his child!"

"And you think that makes it okay?" Neji could help neither the scathing tone in his voice nor his increasing volume. "You think because you have a reason, it's okay for him to cheat on Tenten? Or—or for _you_ to cheat on me?"

To his surprise, Kin flinched, drawing her arms protectively around herself as if she had been burned and then doused in scalding water. "I didn't mean to betray you," she whispered, averting her gaze, "I… I'm sorry, Neji, I—"

"Don't."

She shook her head forcefully. "You don't understand."

"_Don't_—"

In one hurried breath, she confessed, "I loved you."

Neji's eyes widened, shock rendering him speechless, and Kin took this chance to seize his wrists.

"I loved you," she continued, desperation clear in her dark eyes. "I might not have loved you most… but I loved you, Neji."

"This…" he swallowed. "This means _nothing_ now."

"I know," she breathed. "I know. You love someone else. Tenten." A bitter, knowing smile crossed her lips. "Zaku chose her, too. Why else do you think I hate her so much? I was _jealous_. She had everything I want, including _you_—" she stopped herself. "But now your heart is not what I want from you, Neji. I want… I want someone to be a father to Satoshi. Someone who can guarantee that he'll have a status in society someday. Someone… someone who won't leave."

Disbelief stole into white eyes. "And what makes you think I won't?"

"You will stay," Kin replied simply. "You may hate me with everything you have got, but you are kind, Neji. You will stay."

It was like the Tsuchi Kin he knew disappeared completely—_completely_—only to be replaced with this shadow of a woman who was too lost, too jaded, too far away from being _whole_ that she didn't even know right from left. Her dark eyes were trained on his, and in them was the kind of gut-wrenching desperation he'd only ever seen in those who had gained something and then lost everything. He was supposed to hate this woman for what she did to him, to _both_ of them, but all he felt now was pity.

"And is that all you want?" Neji asked quietly. "For someone to stay?"

"That's all I need," she responded stubbornly. "You might think that it's not enough, knowing me and the kind of person I am. That I would need more than just for someone to stay, to be a father to my child. But that's all I can have, Neji," she lifted her gaze to meet his firmly, "That's all I can have, and—and it will have to do."

The revelation that sank into Neji's head then wasn't as shocking as revelations went. "You love him."

"What?"

"Zaku," he said. "You love him."

To his surprise, she didn't deny it. "Always have," she admitted, looking as if she had aged twenty years in a matter of seconds. "Probably always will. He knows it, too, the… the _bastard_."

"How could you love—" Neji stopped before the words "someone like _that_" spilled out of his lips, and amended, "For how long?"

Kin looked at him, wistful wonder in her eyes before resignation took over. "Ten years."

Closing his eyes, Neji wondered what that made him. All those wasted years. All those promises, broken from the moment they were made. All those lies. _Ten years, and she never once wished to tell me the truth._ Like a ton of bricks falling upon his shoulders, he suddenly understood the way Tenten felt the night she left, and it wasn't very pleasant. It wasn't pleasant at all. When he opened his eyes again, they were the color of storms.

"I'm leaving."

"But—"

"Your child doesn't need a father more than he needs a mother," he interrupted, voice firm. "Don't make him lose his mother, too, Kin." He was quiet for a while, and then: "I grew up without a father, too."

An involuntary gasp slid out of her mouth. "Oh!"

"I had my mother, though. All the time. Always, until she passed."

Her lips trembled. "Neji…"

"He will be fine as long as he has you, and it will do you both well to realize that." Running his fingers on the back of his head, he reached into his pocket and placed on the chair next to him the Tsuchi's ring box. "Keep my family's crest with you."

Dark eyes widened. "What?"

"Whatever you want to do with it, I'm done doing this for you," he told her, the quiet baritone of his voice lacking any kind of real scorn but laced with exhaustion. "I'm done being your escape."

_And I'm done making you_my_escape._

Then it was as if life had been sucked right out of her as understanding dawned, heavy and darkening her eyes with the weight of acceptance. The woman made no move to stop him even as he took a step backwards and closer to the door of the studio. "Neji," she took a deep breath, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. For what I did. For who I was. For—for everything. I… I meant what I said, you know. You might not believe me, and it's really not a surprise if you don't, after the way I behaved… but I really did. Love you, that is." She bit her lip and caught his gaze. "I really did love you."

"Yes," he murmured, his fingers setting on the brass doorknob as he lowered it to open the door. Giving her one last look, the corners of his lips quirked into something that, on someone else, could perhaps be identified as a half-smile. "As did I," he said, and with that, closed the door behind him.

—

**to be continued.**

—

LOL HAI BACKSTORY! 8D

This is probably ending in about one or two chapter(s), if all goes well. I'm hoping to finish it soon, so we'll see. That said, I'm pretty pleased with this chapter and hope that you find it entertaining as well! Kin is a bitch, but in reality most bitches act like bitches for a reason. While personally I don't think what she did was completely justified, I hope this chapter at least sheds some light on why she acted the way she did. Feel free to point out inaccuracies and inconsistencies!

Lastly, to **Im not mad at you anymore**: it's now my turn to feel bad. D: So sorry for blowing up on you just like that! It's no excuse, but I often get messages demanding updates, and they really try my patience. So, uh, sorry once again, and I hope you didn't take it to heart. This is very late, but Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, too!


	14. of park visits and archenemies

**fourteen.**

—

Tenten sat on the wooden bench, brown eyes sweeping around slowly, wistfully.

The park was lush and green, college students spread on the grass and around the fountain. During their first two years of college, she and Sakura used to come here after their classes ended just so they could go home together. On their third year they had been exceedingly busy with starkly different majors, however, and so had taken to hanging out in the park only when they had a little bit of free time, talking and eating ice cream. Sometimes they would attempt to study there, but they were usually too distracted to actually learn anything.

"It's kind of nostalgic, isn't it?" Sakura remarked, sitting down next to Tenten as she held out a paper cup. It was Thursday and they had come here to celebrate both Tenten's new book deal and Sakura's own moving in with Sasuke. "Here, your favorite. Chocolate chip cookie dough with a drizzle of Nutella."

"Thanks!" Tenten received the cup gratefully. Raising an eyebrow at her ex-housemate, she guessed, "Strawberry cheesecake?"

The pink-haired woman grinned. "As usual."

"Just like old times."

"Yeah, except it's now more expensive." Sakura made a face. "Damn economy." She helped herself to a generous scoop of ice cream before sweeping her gaze around the park. "Anyway, time flies, doesn't it? It feels like just yesterday I submitted that goddamned, fifty-page-long report to Ibiki-sensei. I thought he was going to fail me for real and I'd have to repeat another year. I can't believe I survived!"

The novelist shook her head in mock disappointment. "Four years of college and _that_'s the first memory you think of? How depressing."

"I'm just being true to myself."

"Depressing," Tenten repeated.

Sakura laughed, and their easy banter continued for a few minutes as they recalled various things that happened in their college years. This was until the pink-haired woman stared at her empty ice cream cup, falling silent as if deep in thought. "It's odd," she started. "Three years ago we were just graduating, and now—now Kirika's getting married! _Married_!" she paused, "Like… she's going to be someone's _wife_, Tenten. Fast forward one year and she's suddenly a mom. Imagine that!"

"You're getting ahead of yourself," Tenten chuckled. "I know how you're feeling, though. Time flies, indeed. Anyway, while we're on the subject of weddings…" she set aside her cup and started rummaging in her bag, "I promised Kiri I'll pass on the invitation to you. She was going to send it by mail, but I'm going to meet you today so why bother, right? I told her you wouldn't mind. There's no need to spend more on—" she suddenly fell silent, her hand stilling abruptly inside her bag.

A teasing smile tugged on Sakura's lips. "Left it at home, huh?"

"Um, no." Tenten sounded a little bit perturbed. "No, I have it here. It's just that, well…" she pulled out her hand, and sure enough, between her fingers was Kirika and Yuuma's wedding invitation. The ribbon that held the cream-colored card was silk red, corners patterned with gold threads, but what caught Sakura's eyes was the object stuck to one of its ends: a thin silver chain with a crescent moon pendant.

"Oh," Sakura murmured, not really knowing what to say. She knew where it came from.

"Yeah, _oh_ is right," Tenten agreed, brown eyes fixed on the necklace that had somehow fused itself in a complicated knot with the invitation's ribbon. The diamond that sat on the brink of the moon glittered under the sunlight, casting a soft, warm glow, and after a moment of mesmerized silence, she unfastened it carefully and shook her head. "I should probably return it."

Sakura looked alarmed. "To Neji?"

"Since it's his… I guess?"

The pink-haired woman bit her lower lip. "Don't you think that's a bit abrupt? It's only been several days, hasn't it?"

"Twelve days and counting," Tenten responded absent-mindedly, flushing with embarrassment when she realized what she had just said. "Oh, damn it."

"It's okay," Sakura consoled. "It's completely natural. It's only been almost two weeks."

"Two weeks is enough time to come to terms with it."

And it should be. She wasn't vain enough to believe that she would be over Neji by now—that was entirely too optimistic, not to mention that would also be lying to herself—but couldn't she at least, _at least_, let it go a little? Accept it a little? Yet still it felt like it had only happened this morning! This was the most pathetic she had ever been in her _life_, and god, she hated it.

She hated that it was still the first thing she thought about when waking up in the morning and the last thing that crossed her mind right before she fell asleep. She hated that thoughts of him seemed to plague her head, lurking there even when she was trying her best to focus somewhere else. Most of all, though, she hated that she didn't hate _him_ at all, even kind of wanted—kind of _hoped_—that he would look for her.

Her hand fell limp on her lap, the pendant brushing her knee, and her fingers curled around the chain a little tighter.

"You're being too hard on yourself," Sakura remarked in concern. "Much too hard, Tenten."

"Maybe," Tenten admitted. She was silent for a while before she shook her head, pushing unwanted thoughts away, and then handed the invitation to Sakura. "It doesn't matter, though."

"But—"

"I don't want to talk about it now."

Her tone was stubborn and Sakura decided to let it go.

—

"It's driving me crazy," Kirika muttered, sliding her car into an empty parking lot. She had called the two when they were in the park, asking if they had time to accompany her. "_Crazy_, I tell you. It's almost the wedding and he's been spending way more time at the office. I told him it's bad to overwork himself, but does he listen to me? No, of course not. Nobody listens to me, not even my own husband! It's—"

"Already thinking of Yuuma as your husband, huh?" Sakura teased from the backseat.

The brunette flushed in embarrassment. "It's his idea. He said we have to get used to thinking about each other like that as quickly as possible," she shook her head and unbuckled her seatbelt. "The wedding's in about four weeks, after all."

Tenten smiled, reaching out to pat her cousin's hand. "Are you nervous?"

Kirika paused for a moment, giving the question a weight of consideration. "Yes," she admitted eventually, "but not the bad kind of nervous. Yuuma is the man I want to spend the rest of life with, I'm sure of that. But right now, it feels like…" her cheeks burned even more and she clamped her mouth shut.

"Like what?" Sakura wanted to know.

"This is corny as hell," Kirika made a face, "but it feels like I'm falling in love with him all over again. You know that first stage of relationship where every single thing makes you happy? I'm right there. Again. I'm marrying him and even looking at him makes me so happy I want to _burst_. It's embarrassing," she paused when Tenten burst into delighted laughter, "so I will appreciate it if no one hears about this. _No one_, okay?"

With difficulty, Tenten stopped laughing, masquerading it as a series of cough instead. "I hear and obey."

Kirika glared, and Tenten immediately ceased coughing as well. Unfortunately, it was Sakura's turn to dissolve in a fit of giggles. "She's just happy for you," her cousin supplied. "We're both just really, really happy for you and Yuuma. In four weeks, you will be Higuchi Kirika!"

"Higuchi Kirika!" Sakura repeated as if the name was a mantra, holding her stomach as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "_Higuchi_ _Kirika_!"

"Shut up!" Kirika's face flamed, although she couldn't help the smile that was curling her lips. In the end she, too, laughed along, before she suddenly remembered something and stopped immediately. "Okay, off with this nonsense and let's go get your stuff!"

Still laughing and in a good mood, they made their way into the apartment and Tenten flashed her keycard at the reader. The doors opened obediently and she walked in, Sakura and Kirika behind her, the air-conditioned lobby a welcome, blissful change from the hot summer air. To her surprise, a black-haired woman was sitting down on the European-styled sofa in the waiting area, typing on her smartphone with almost no care for the world.

Tenten recovered first. "Kin?"

The woman looked up and immediately rose to her feet. "Tenten," she returned, giving the others a polite, quick nod. "Do you have time? I need to talk to you about something."

Tenten raised her eyebrows. It wasn't every day that Kin asked for her time—she normally didn't care and jumped right to it. Behind her, Sakura stiffened, her jaw dropping, and Kirika tilted her head in mild curiosity. "This is about Neji," Tenten clarified, even though she didn't really have to ask. "Right?"

"Yes."

For a few seconds Tenten was quiet, searching for the telltale signs if this was just another trick, just another invitation to hear the woman in front of her boast about the things she had. This time, however, there was something different about Kin. Her mannerisms and even the air around her had changed; she looked more reserved, more… _humble_, perhaps. It was in the end the strain in the corners of Kin's eyes that cemented the novelist's decision.

Tenten turned around to address Kirika, but her cousin beat her to it. "Sakura can accompany me to the appointment," she said. "Can't you, Sakura?"

The pink-haired woman nodded quickly. "Of course."

"Alright," Tenten agreed, giving the two a grateful smile. "I'll catch you two later." When they were gone, she returned her attention to Kin, and surprising them both, offered, "Would you like to go up?"

—

Humility didn't really suit her.

This was the thought that gnawed in Kin's mind all day long, loud and persistent. Her fingers itched to tap themselves against the chair but she held it in, choosing instead to take a few deep breaths. Inwardly, she listed the reasons why she was here in first place. She needed to do this for herself. So she could move on, so she could be a betterperson, so she could just stop with all the lies. She needed to do this for Satoshi, who deserved a mother who cared for and loved him. She needed to do this for Neji, for this was the only way she knew to express her gratitude, no matter how insignificant it might be.

Right across her was Tenten, sitting with her legs crossed as she sipped her tea slowly, almost patiently.

"I came to tell you the truth." The words escaped her throat before Kin could stop them. "To… apologize, too, if you'll let me."

_Apologize?_ Brown eyes widened and Tenten parted her lips to say something, but Kin beat her to it. For the next few minutes, the novelist stayed silent as the other woman spoke about her life; about Satoshi and how he was Zaku's son, about what really happened with Zaku, about how Neji got involved in everything. Instinctively, the gears in her head set to recall the events that had passed, and when it was over, Tenten was surprised to realize that she felt herself closer to laughing hysterically rather than crying or screaming in anger.

She should have known.

Zaku had mentioned that he didn't think he would ever completely get over Kin, once. Their lives were much too entangled for their own good, a dead knot that was impossible to undo. The conversation had occurred in a rare moment of whimsy—or weakness, perhaps; it was difficult to tell with him—and Tenten hadn't really thought of it much, at least not so consciously and not until recently. Which was why she was surprised that this very thought lingered at the back of her mind, so clear, so _natural_ that she realized she should have known this all along:

"You're still waiting for him."

Kin's lips parted though no sound came out, but a few seconds passed and then she chuckled. "That would be pathetic, wouldn't it?"

The novelist didn't reply. Instead she asked, "Am I right?"

The black-haired woman swallowed once, twice, fiddling with her hands on her lap. "Zaku is a bastard," she said at last, when the weight of Tenten's gaze had become too much of a burden on her shoulders. "I'm not usually so stupid, but with him… sometimes I can't help but to wonder why."

Tenten felt her lips tighten at the corners, something like pity banking cold in her chest and suffocating her throat. She, too, couldn't help but to wonder. "Kin…"

"It's love," the other woman shrugged. "What's the saying? You don't choose it, it chooses you." She chuckled once more, and this time it was bitter. "What a foolish thing to be chosen for, though." She paused. "Maybe it's karma for the things I have done."

"The things you have done?"

"I ruin things for people," Kin replied flatly, and Tenten realized that the other woman had been thinking of it for a long, long time. "Look at our history, Tenten. I broke you and Zaku up, and then I broke you and Neji up."

Tenten looked down at her hands. "Neither of those are fully your fault."

"Can you really say that?"

It was the Tenten's turn to shrug. She sipped her tea once and then set her cup down on the table, her fingers curling around the porcelain gently. She was not so naive that she could lay all the blame towards Kin. She was not so naive to think that it was all Kin's fault, that if Kin hadn't butted in, she would still be together with either man. Even if things had been different, Zaku could have cheated on her with someone else, while Neji…

Neji would still have his secrets.

When she snapped back to attention, Kin was staring at her in an odd manner. More than anything, the ease with which Tenten looked at her surprised her. It was as if the other woman really believed that it wasn't all her fault, and… it was new. It was all new. Kin didn't think she had ever met anyone quite like the novelist, and she didn't think she would meet anyone like her, either.

"You deserve to be happy."

Tenten's eyes widened, surprise clouding brown eyes at Kin's statement. "Um," she began. "Don't we all?"

"Don't we _all_?" Kin echoed.

"Well, I think so," the novelist shrugged. "So you'll get over Zaku and somehow find a way to be happy. Maybe you'll get married, maybe you won't. You'll have your own troubles, sure, but you'll eventually be happy."

She said it as if it was such a simple thing, as if it didn't even merit a second of consideration, and Kin had to laugh. "That's very optimistic. Not everyone can have that."

Tenten raised her eyebrows. Had Kin been blaming herself all along? Had she held herself responsible for everything that had happened? For some reason, it didn't add up to the image of the woman in her mind, but then again they hadn't known each other. Not really.

"No," she responded finally. "Optimistic is when I say you'll get over Zaku and then meet a handsome, rich man who caters to your every whim. You'll get married with him and then he'll whisk you off your feet and you'll live in a castle far away. You'll always have enough money to never worry about rent or utility bills. A happily ever after, _that_'s optimistic. I was being realistic. And… what's stopping you?" she asked. "Have you ever tried?"

"I—"

"Haven't you just been moping and waiting for a man who will do that for you?" Tenten continued. "Weren't _you_ the one who was being optimistic—albeit in a strange way?" At Kin's stunned expression, she laughed. "You don't want to be stuck in a hole forever. If you can't find the rope to drag you up, then why don't you climb it yourself? Dig yourself a way out? Who's to say it's impossible?"

"You—" the other woman choked. "You're _impossible_."

Tenten's smile was wry. "I've been told. Twice today, actually."

Kin glared at her. "You're one to speak," she retorted. "Don't you love him as well?"

"Who? Zaku?"

"_Neji_, you idiot."

"Does it matter?"

The black-haired woman scoffed. "Oh, don't even go there. I'm not that stupid."

Tenten laughed.

Dark eyes narrowing at the woman sitting across of her, Kin sighed. "I can't believe I have to spell it out to you," she complained, and before Tenten could ask what, exactly, needed spelling out, she had continued. "Neji is worth it, Tenten. For all his bravado, he needs you—and you need him, too."

"You—"

"I'm not done talking," Kin cut in impatiently as she rummaged in her bag. "Look, I hated you. I still do a little right now, but more than that I envy you. You love him, woman. _You love him_. I can tell, don't give me bullshit. I'm not saying that you should jump into his arms right here right now with no degree of self-respect, but you should at least admit it to yourself when he comes around. _When_, I say, not _if_. Do that and both of you will be much, much happier. Understand?"

Tenten's jaw dropped. "Ex_cuse_ me?"

"If you get to talk some sense into me, then I get the chance to do the same to you. Anyway, here." Kin's hands opened, revealing a very familiar box caged between her fingers. A rare, genuine smile gracing her lips, she caressed the velvety surface gently. "I have borrowed this for far too long," she whispered, "and it's now time to hand it to the one it belongs to."

The brunette swallowed, "I—"

"For when he comes to you, Tenten." Kin's gaze implored Tenten, her tone beseeching. "For when he is ready to. Keep it, will you?"

—

**tbc. **

—

Thanks for reading! :D


	15. of Hyuuga meetings and dessert shops

Thank you so, so much for all the reviews! I really appreciate all the feedback, both negative and positive. Enjoy!

—

**fifteen.**

—

This, Neji thought gravely, was a very bad decision.

Cautiously he watched as Hanabi ambled around his office, arms crossed and lips pursed. She ooh-ed and ah-ed at his glass cabinet loudly, admiring the awards and tokens displayed on the racks. School was out for her at the moment and Hiashi, annoyed that she seemed to only have been lazying around, ordered her to intern in the Hyuuga Corporation's office.

Neji hadn't agreed—he definitely didn't _encourage_ the idea; heck, the kid was like a damned firecracker—but Hiashi resorted to giving orders when his requests weren't fulfilled. Furthermore, Hanabi had jumped on the ship immediately, delighted that she was given an opportunity to pester both her sister and cousin. She had been 'working' under Hinata for a few days now, doing only god knew what. Neji would have been happy with that, but when he saw that Hinata was suddenly getting thinner, he knew he had to intervene.

Losing interest, Hanabi looked around the room for something else to admire. Her gaze falling upon his trash can, her eyes brightened and she skipped—_skipped!_—to look at it. The moment she actually lowered her head over it, Neji snapped.

"Would you just _stop_?"

Hanabi straightened up, pearly eyes full of mischief. "But Neji-niisan, Otou-sama wants me to learn everything!" As if to make a point, she extended her arms out. "Everything!"

"Then at least be quiet doing it," Neji resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I haven't given you any work since you begged me not to, but Hanabi, I swear…"

Waving her hand dismissively at him, she turned to look at his bookcase. "How do you find time to read all of these, Neji-niisan?" she asked, running her hand over the spines of the books. "Every time we call you, you're always so busy. And you never—" she stopped, her hand stilling over the shelves. "Huh. That's strange."

"What's strange?"

Her tone was mild, almost innocent. "I didn't know you read romance novels."

"I don't."

"Liar," quipped Hanabi. "You have a whole section right here dedicated to romance."

Her voice had dipped low and mischievous, and Neji looked up defensively, alarm ghosting over his white eyes. "Those are—"

"Tenten-san's books, I know," she grinned, pulling out a random book. She sat down and crossed her legs, then, tapping her chin thoughtfully as she leafed through the pages. Some of the corners had been folded, a clear sign that someone had been reading it. "You read them during your breaks, don't you?"

Neji glared at her. "I don't even _have_ breaks."

The fact of the matter was, he hadn't had a break for several weeks already. He had been so busy working on his proposal; the one on a new luxury hotel with a different focus. He would be presenting it in front of the Hyuugas today, and he wanted it to be perfect. No, he _needed_ it to be perfect.

Hanabi nodded sympathetically. "I know the feeling."

"I'm sure you do."

The door knocked and Andou appeared, in his hands a thick envelope. "A delivery just came in, Neji-san," the secretary declared, winking at Hanabi as he passed her to hand his boss the object. "It's from Gaara-san."

Neji received the envelope and muttered a quick word of gratitude, about to return to work when an idea formed in his head. It was silly, really, that he didn't think of this before. "Hanabi, why don't you go with Andou now? You can help him work."

Hanabi gasped theatrically. "Are you getting rid of me?"

"Yes," he said flatly. "I am. Put the book back where it belongs and go with Andou. Teach her how to use the copy machines, Andou."

"I did that on my first day!"

"Then how to make good coffee, since the one she made for me this morning is terrible."

Hanabi's jaw dropped. "My coffee is _fine_, thank you!"

Neji raised his head to grace his secretary with a look. "Andou," he warned.

Andou looked perturbed. He might have liked Hanabi, but to actually be _subjected _to the girl's presence… frankly, he wasn't very enthusiastic about the prospect. "Um, okay," he relented finally, remembering that he _was_ a professional. "Hanabi-san, why don't you come with me? I'm sure we can find something you can work on."

The girl stood up abruptly and pointed an accusing finger at her cousin. "You will pay for this," she vowed. "I will make your food so spicy—"

"I look forward to it," he told her before waving her out of the room. Andou tailed behind the girl quickly, offering a stream of comforting words as they left. Shaking his head, Neji returned his attention to the envelope on his desk and reached to open it. It had arrived much sooner than he thought it would. Project proposals didn't usually need building plans since they could well be rejected and all that work would be for nothing, but this was a special case. With Gaara's designs, the proposal would seem stronger, more well-planned.

Neji could use the advantage, and Gaara had done him a huge favor by working on it as soon as possible. Carefully, he leafed through the designs one by one, noting that the architect really had put much thought into it. He paused on a quick sketch of what would be the presidential suite. Gaara had scribbled "painted ceilings" on the margins_, _and then, below it, in fine, cursive print: _just as you requested. _

This was, quite simply, a masterpiece. There was no way Hiashi would reject this as long as he had a solid business plan to back it up.

And Neji knew he did. He had been working on this proposal every day for more than two weeks. His every waking moment had been devoted to adding details into it and smoothing out every single kink he could see. The only thing he had been lacking when he first thought of it was a name for the hotel, but as his eyes caught the little notes Tenten had left for him, now stacked very carefully in a glass cube next to his computer screen—he knew that it was not a concern anymore.

_It's okay_, he told himself, feeling somewhat foolish._ It'll be fine. Hiashi-sama may not immediately agree to your proposal but he'll at least consider it. And what comes after that… will be fine, too. You've talked to Sakura. You might have to bribe her a little but at least she agreed. It will be fine, and—Hyuuga Neji, are you actually giving yourself a _pep talk_?_

The answer was yes. Yes, he was. He didn't know why he was so nervous. He was used to this kind of thing and he never lost his calm before, but right now, right here, he felt like if he wasn't sitting down, his legs would give out just like that. It was ridiculous and yet not really at the same time; for all that he knew, today was very, very important.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, the Hyuuga gathered the papers and put them back into the envelope. Rising to his feet, he donned his suit and slipped the cube into his pocket where it bulged, awkward and misplaced. He inhaled deeply, his fingertips caressing the smooth glass surface, and then exhaled.

It was time.

—

The Hyuuga insignia was an equilateral cross with four long arms extended outwards, each end curling into a definite hook. It was kept in a blue jewelry box lined with velvet, a silver latch securing it. The moment Tenten lifted its lid the cross stared right back at her, exquisite silk cushioning it. There was something utterly regal about it even as it sat there, chained down by silver threads, hands glittering like the moon.

Carefully she cradled it between her fingers, reveling in the smooth finish. It was lighter than expected, the metal pressing against her skin cool and welcome. After a few seconds she returned it and closed the box, slipping it into her handbag. It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen, but it wasn't hers and having it in her possession felt more than a little wrong.

_For when he comes to you, Tenten_, Kin had said two days ago. _For when he is ready to_.

But she didn't really need to hear that, did she? Even before those words had left Kin's lips, a part of her had been certain. A part of her had always been certain. It was never a matter of decision—she would, of course, wait for him. No questions asked.

It was as simple and as complicated as that.

Tenten sighed and rested her chin on her fist, only now noticing that her phone screen had been flashing on and off for quite some time now. She lifted it from the table to check the caller and then held it to her ear. "Sakura?"

"Tenten! Finally!" Sakura's voice was a rush of relief. "I thought you were never going to pick up. Are you busy?"

Brown eyes gazed on the stack of books on the table, the laptop already winding down to the screensaver, and the untouched cup of tea on its side. Tenten stared at the mess in front of her incredulously, and then tapped a finger on the trackpad. The screen came to life on prompt and she caught sight of the time—four PM. "Oh, damn," she groaned. It was bad enough she actually forgot that she was supposed to be working, but to think that she had spent more than two hours _daydreaming_? "I'm supposed to be working," she told Sakura when the other woman made a curious sound, "but I'm not doing anything at all. What's up?"

"Wanna go out?" asked Sakura. "There's this dessert shop downtown and I've got discount vouchers from Karin."

"Dessert shop," Tenten echoed, thinking of cakes and puddings. With the writer's block she was currently having, desserts might just be the cure for it. "Yeah, sure. Right now?"

"I'll come and get you," was the response. "You just stay right where you are. I'll be there in two minutes."

"Two minutes? Don't tell me you're actually in front of my—"

The line died. Tenten removed her phone from her ear and stared at it, both incredulous and curious. It wasn't rare for Sakura to suddenly pick her up, but it was strange that she would do that at four PM on a Friday, since her work wasn't normally finished until six or seven. Shrugging it off, Tenten turned to her laptop so save her work and turn it off. She went into her room to change her clothes and make herself look as presentable as she could in what remained from the two minutes Sakura allowed her. Sure enough, as soon as she finished pinning her hair up into her customary buns, the intercom buzzed.

"Coming!" she yelled, grabbing her handbag and rushing to open the door.

Sakura stood outside with her arms folded, wearing an apologetic smile and the nicest pair of shoes Tenten had ever seen. "Hi."

"Hello," Tenten returned, appraising her red high heels. "Are those new?"

A secretive grin spreading on her lips, Sakura chuckled. "Yep. Got them this morning right in front of my door, signed and delivered! It's like magic." Before her best friend could think of anything to say to her enigmatic response, she glanced at her watch and smiled. "Shall we go?"

—

Hyuuga Hiashi watched as his nephew stood in front of him. He spoke smoothly and confidently, answering question upon question with the same even, patient voice that commanded both attention and respect. His posture was strong and straight, even unshaken as the horde of inquiries increased and intensified as if he were being interrogated.

"The Hyuuga Corporation is most known for our Hyuuga Hotels," Neji was saying, pressing a button on his remote. The screen behind him changed to show a piechart of the company's net income and where it came from. "The hotels are popular for short-term stays, vacations, and business trips. This has cemented our reputation in the hospitality and tourism industry. Now is the perfect chance to break into another market as the Naras have done."

"Indeed, Neji-kun," said one of the Hyuugas, a fifty-year-old man named Taichi who had kind, wise eyes. "But it is not necessary to build another brand just to break into another market, especially since our hotels cater to the needs of the mass. Can you tell us the reasons you think it is?"

It only took Neji a few seconds to answer, and when he opened his mouth to speak, Hiashi couldn't help the small grin that curled his lips.

_Damn you, Hizashi_, he thought, fighting hard to both keep his mirth at bay and look like he was listening very intently. _Out of the two of us, you should have been the one to continue the Hyuugas. Just look at your son. Half of his talent is inherited from you, I'm sure. The other half… well, we call him a genius, don't we? _

Another Hyuuga raised his hand and asked, "What kind of unique selling point are you thinking about?"

"Utopia," Neji answered without pausing. "The idea that heaven—recreation, leisure, happiness—can be found in the simplest of places."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why this concept?"

Though his lips were parted, ready to give out an answer, the man known as the genius of the Hyuugas was quiet. Hiashi straightened up on his seat and leaned forward slightly, almost eager to know what his nephew's answer was going to be. For a moment there was a deadly pause as every eye in the room turned to watch him, tension seeping into the air, almost tangible.

And then Neji spoke.

"I think sometimes people are too focused on other things to realize that the very thing they might ever want—the very thing they might ever need—is right within their reach," he began, voice soft yet clear. "I think the most important thing is to realize that it's right there in front of us." He paused for a while there, his hand moving to touch something in the pocket of his suit. Something indecipherable, something almost like affection, ghosted over his silvery-white eyes. "It would be a shame to miss what could very well be the key to your happiness, don't you think?"

The room dissolved into a throng of whispers and murmured agreements, but Neji wasn't done.

"This new hotel will provide relaxation for people who have been too busy. It will provide for those who are tired a place to rest. It will provide for those who are unhappy the most basic kind of recreation, starting from just time away from all the acceleration in society all the way to the more obvious ones people actively search for, such as spas and relaxation services. It will—"

Hiashi cleared his throat and everyone fell into a hush, including Neji, who tensed immediately at the sudden interruption. The Hyuuga patriarch shuffled the documents in front of him—the new hotel designs, the cost budget, the building plans—and then stacked them in front of him in a neat pile. Some of the elders were beginning to hold their breath, dying to know what kind of test would he give his nephew, but he had a different idea in mind.

"I only have one question."

Neji nodded. "Sure."

"This hotel," Hiashi looked up to meet his nephew's almost identical eyes. "Does it already have a name?"

And then, for the first time since he entered the room, Hyuuga Neji's lips curved into a smile that was surprisingly genuine.

"Yes," he said, sounding almost pleased. "It does. I just have to get its inspiration's agreement, first."

—

This, Tenten decided, was sinfully delicious.

The chocolate cake was presented on a triangular white plate, served with a strawberry and the best vanilla ice cream she had ever tasted. Every time she took a bite of it, along with the ice cream, she had to suppress the grin that was threatening to curve her lips. The sponge layer was soft and smooth, not at all a trace of butter. Coating it was thick, warm liquid chocolate that was neither too sweet nor too bland. It was, in a word, glorious.

Death by chocolate, the waiter had told her. What a fitting name.

Tenten looked up, seized with the urge to thank Sakura for bringing her to such a place, but the latter was too busy glaring at her phone. The plate of strawberry cheesecake in front of her lay untouched. Worried, the novelist reached out to tap of her friend's arm. "Is anything wrong?"

Snapping to attention, Sakura jumped. "Oh, no!" she immediately said. "Not at all."

"You sure?"

"Yes!" Sakura nodded. "See, I'm fine. You're fine. Everything's fine. The world is fine."

Tenten stared at her friend suspiciously, but decided to shrug it off. "It's really too bad for Karin that she gave you her discount vouchers," she began conversationally. "But it's lucky for us, isn't it? This is simply the most divine cake I've ever tasted! Want a bite?"

"Huh? Oh, mine is good, too," Sakura rushed to answer, lifting her fork and then scooping up a large chunk into her mouth. She chewed quickly and swallowed, giving Tenten the thumbs-up as she patted her chest, almost choking. "The best. Seriously."

The novelist raised her eyebrows. "That's not what I asked, but good to know. Seriously, though, are you okay?"

"Yes," the pink-haired woman glanced at her phone and shook it furiously, "I'm just waiting for this call from my… my boss. He's not usually late and he has something important to do today, so…" As if on cue, Sakura's phone gave a shrill cry. Surprised, she dropped it and it fell on the table with a loud clatter. Tenten's gaze automatically dropped to the screen, but Sakura screeched loudly and scrambled to get the phone, looking almost panicked as she rejected the call. "Sorry, I have to take this. You, um, you just enjoy your cake first! Order something else if you want to, I—" the phone screamed one more, and Sakura stood up and hurried away without looking back, her bright red heels clacking on the hardwood floor.

Tenten's eyebrows rose even higher and then dipped into a frown as she stared at the doors Sakura had just left from. It was weird, all very weird. They were close enough that neither of them felt the need to actually leave for a phone call. Maybe when it was extremely personal or concerned other people's problems, sometimes not even then, but never when it was work-related like Sakura had claimed it to be. But maybe—

Stop thinking about it, she chided herself. If it was something that Sakura needed help with, then she would tell her for sure.

Fighting to keep this thought in mind, she returned to her dessert. For some reason it didn't look or taste as appetizing as it was before, so she put down her fork and amused herself by perusing the menu instead. She was too focused on the list of desserts to notice that someone had slid in the seat across of her until she lowered the large book to grab her water—and then, taken by surprise, she gasped, dropping the menu. It was only thanks to his quick reflexes that it hadn't fallen right on top of her cake.

"Neji!"

In contrast, there was no tinge of surprise in his tone as he set the menu between them. "Tenten."

"What are you—" her eyes narrowed, "What are you doing here? Where's Sakura?"

"She went home."

Tenten gaped, enraged. "She went _home_?"

Neji nodded. "I asked her to."

"Of all the things…" she groaned, covering her face. So this was why Sakura was so distracted! The _nerve_ of that woman!

"Tenten."

To anyone else, his voice was soft, smooth, the perfect definition of Hyuuga Neji, but Tenten, snapping to attention, didn't miss the slight tremor that ran through his baritone. Something hot and cold coursed her body, something unapologetically similar to desire, and her hands trembled on her lap. All the words she wanted to say died on her lips, beaten by the catch in her throat, and so she waited.

Neji, too, seemed to be at loss for words. His eyes were trained on her face, so clear and intense with wanting that she had to suppress the delicious shiver tickling her spine. He took a few seconds to gather himself, and it was only then that he allowed his lips to curve ever so slightly, almost a smile.

"There is something I wish to show you," he said finally, not bothering to hide the hopefulness from either his eyes or voice. "If you will kindly allow me the liberty, please?"

—

**tbc.**

—

It seems like my brain keeps rejecting my plans! Thank you for still reading, I can only hope this chapter pleases you all good people.


	16. of love and its brilliance

Asdfghjkl, thank you so very much for all your support, guys. I couldn't have asked for a better readership. So sorry I couldn't reply to your reviews one by one last time, but I'm drowning in so many assignments, it's terrible. That said, a belated Happy Valentine's day! I hope you had a great one, and enjoy this chapter. It's the second-to-last. :)

—

**sixteen.**

—

From the moment she laid eyes on him this evening, Tenten had known that her answer would be yes.

It was some kind of a reflex, some kind of an instinct, and she had expected it. She had expected today to come, too; a silly notion that lurked in the back of her mind before it turned into a belief that turned into an expectation. Oh, she'd expected all of that—what she didn't expect was the gratitude to be so stark in his white eyes when he said, "Thank you."

The Hyuuga Neji she remembered, she thought, would have been less transparent. Oh, he would have been honest with her if she asked, but for him to show what he was really thinking of or feeling without any sort of prompt? It was nearly unheard of. The Hyuuga Neji she remembered was the kind of man who possessed exact, absolute control over every fiber of his being, always so logically precise with what he wanted to say or wanted to do that it left little to no room for doubt or uncertainty.

The Hyuuga Neji she remembered would have reacted differently.

And so the realization that lingered in her mind was this: that this man, this person sitting next to her, was not the Hyuuga Neji she remembered.

_He'd changed. _

It would only be logical, she mused silently. Now that she had the time to calm down and think rationally, it would only be logical that what they were—what they had been, what they could have been, what they _would_ have been—had changed them.

_Now's not the time to think of such things, Tenten_, she reminded herself sternly. _Now's the time to… just sit still. Just sit still, and watch, and wait._

Resigning herself to the utterly awkward silence, she turned to stare out the window.

—

She looked different.

Thinner, for one, sitting right there on the passenger's seat of his car. Her face was gaunt and lined with exhaustion, dark circles forming shadows under her eyes. Her ordinarily lively eyes were grave, wary, tense; her knuckles white in their clutch to one another, and…

Was it possible for someone to change so much in two _weeks_?

"You… you look tired."

The words left Neji's lips before he could contain them, and his heart sank when she stiffened slightly. Every inch of her being was on guard, as if she was waiting for an inevitable storm.

Eventually she shrugged. "Well," she said, and then stopped. It was clear that she wasn't going to continue.

Not for the first time that day, Neji wondered if he had been too hasty in his decision to talk to her now. Sakura hadn't said a word, but since the two women were no longer housemates, some things were certain to pass her by. Tenten hadn't complained about anything, either; but then again they hadn't exchanged one word for half a month.

_Calm down_, he told himself, forcing himself to recall the cube lying in the front pocket of his suit, the sensation of glass pressing cool against his skin. He couldn't change the past for all the remorse in the world, but at least…

At least he could try to fix _this_.

Repeating the thought in his head like a mantra, his fingers tightened on the steering wheel and Neji stepped on the gas, the arrow on the dashboard quivering when they entered a familiar parking lot.

Next to him, Tenten straightened on her seat, confusion creasing the space between her brows. "This is…"

"The Hyuuga's office," Neji murmured, steering the car into a spot reserved solely for him. He shifted the gear into parking mode and unlocked the door, leveling her with a gaze. "We're here."

It was sheer luck that she followed him without question.

—

Despite having visited Neji numerous times in the Hyuuga's office, this was the first time Tenten actually went all the way up to the rooftop. The expanse was bare, large blocks of flower plants lining the walls penning the room to the emergency stairs. Curiously she ambled towards the cement parapets, eager to see what was bordered. They were standing on the thirty-fifth floor and although the rooftop had no lighting, everything _glowed_. Below them lay Tokyo, submerged in a glittering ocean of hectic life. The sky had hushed into a dark, subtle blue by now, marking the beginning of nightfall, and a few stars had started to blink prettily, awaken from their slumber. She could see red and yellow dots moving in the distance, tinier and tinier until they blurred into one another.

"Do you like it?"

Tenten jumped, too engrossed in the view to notice Neji standing next to her. "Um," she said. "It's alright."

"That's good," he replied, sounding sincere. For a long moment he didn't say anything else, turning around to lean his back on the wall. Finally he said: "I found your notes."

Of all the things she imagined he would start with, this was the one topic that didn't make the top ten. Tenten winced, remembering the silly little notes she'd left everywhere in his house.

The whole thing had started on an impulse, just a scrap of paper noting the expiration date of a carton of milk. She'd chucked it in the bin along with the dairy when she realized he didn't actually open his fridge all that often, but the spontaneity had stuck and grown into a habit before she could stop herself. Suddenly she was looking for reasons—excuses, really—to leave more and more notes for him. It was almost embarrassing how much time she spent daydreaming over what would happen if he found them; like a silly, inexperienced girl with a first crush. Now that he had, though… the timing was just not right.

"I cooked with your recipe book last night," Neji began softly, something like expectation flickering in his eyes. "And the night before, and the night before, _and_ the night before. I've been trying all week, but none of them turned out quite right."

"What…" she hesitated. "What did you try to cook?"

"Tom yum soup. Lemongrass chicken. Stir-fry vegetables." He paused. "I screwed up with all of them. The soup was too spicy. The chicken wasn't cooked very well. The vegetables were bad." He lifted his gaze and met hers. "I can't cook, Tenten."

Whatever she had been expecting when he started talking about food, it hadn't been his admission of failure—especially not when it was spoken so casually they could have been talking about the _weather_. Finally allowing herself to scrutinize him, Tenten pressed her lips together tightly. There was something interesting about watching Neji fret, and this? This was Neji fretting around and he was so obviously _terrible_ at it.

Shaking her head, she decided to just cut to the chase and asked, "What are we doing?"

He blinked, taken aback. "What?"

"This," Tenten gestured between them, glancing at him solemnly. "You didn't just lie and tell me you have something to show me to talk about cooking, did you?"

"I… well, no."

"Then?"

Neji fell quiet, then, a faraway look sinking in his eyes as he turned to face the city once more. The light from below illuminated his face, flickering in silvery-white eyes as they rose and met her own.

"I want to—" he stopped for a moment. "I want to apologize."

His admittance came in an uncertain rush of words, and then:

"I'm sorry, Tenten."

All of her thoughts crashed into a standstill except for the almost unbearable need to listen to what he was about to say.

"I'm sorry for not telling you about Kin," Neji continued in the same tone. "I'm sorry for denying the importance of what happened, for refusing to explain it to you even when you asked." He paused and took a tentative step forward, releasing a relieved breath when she didn't move away. "I'm sorry that my pride forced you to beat what's right into me." A step forward. "I'm sorry for not trusting you." Another step forward, and another. "I'm sorry for not trusting _myself_ enough to trust you, and—"

They were standing next to each other right now, a hair breadth's away from touching.

"And above all, above all I'm sorry that I hurt you."

Neji swallowed with difficulty, all of a sudden looking so lost, so vulnerable that it formed knots in her stomach. He was not used to apologizing, this much she both had known and could tell. His shoulders were squared, tense, his whole posture not at all filled with an easy elegance he normally possessed. His back a straight line under the night sky, the Hyuuga swallowed once more, trying to find courage in the daunting silence that engulfed him, drowned him, swallowed him whole.

What was left was the simplest truth of all:

He would give anything—_everything_—for her happiness. For her to once again smile for him. For her to one day forgive him. Even if it meant they couldn't be together, giving up what they could have been, even if she hated him for eternity, even if she damned him to hell and back, he would.

For her, he would.

"If this is what you wish… if I can, I'll take all of it back," he rushed to say when Tenten still did not speak. "Undo everything. All of it. Even… even the day I met y—"

Her refusal sliced the air, quick and sharp: "_No_."

Words weren't enough to describe the relief that, at her interruption, _became_ him.

A blush spreading on her cheeks, she timidly looked away, repeating more softly, "No."

Then Neji finally, _finally_ allowed himself to face her—to really _look_ at her, to take in all the details he had missed in the fourteen days they didn't meet. The silhouettes of the city skyscrapers had fallen on the side of her face, the shadow descending on the brown of her hair, the curve of her nose, the flat line of her mouth. Even in the darkness the heat of her gaze burned, smoldered, flecks of gold hidden under long dun lashes. Almost instinctively he reached for her, reveling in the way her hands felt against his, the way her fingers fit between his, the way her palms surrendered against his knuckles.

_She did not push him away. _

It was this single strand of thought that lent Neji the courage he had been looking for, in the end. "I told you I wanted to show you something," he began again, "That was not a lie." He stirred her gently towards the city lights, "Look."

So Tenten did.

Now that the sun had completely disappeared from view, Tokyo came alive even more below them. Right in front of the Hyuuga's office was a park and she could almost make out the lights strung along the benches and bushes, though they were too high up for her to be certain what they were exactly. Across it was another office; a short, worn-out complex with rectangular windows and several lit rooms. There was a tall, unnamed skyscraper undergoing renovation sitting behind it, one of its faces almost completely overlaid by large, reflective glass squares, and—

Her breath caught in her throat.

City lights spattered the glass panels in a sporadic pattern, a myriad of motley illumination that shimmered gently in the darkness. Flickering faintly over the rooftop, the moon hung tall and silver above the building, free from the imprisonment of the clouds.

_A perfect circle. _

"Do you remember my dream, Tenten?"

His question surprised her, but she nodded anyway. "I… well, yes. Yes, I do."

"The Hyuugas approved my proposal in the meeting this evening," Neji said, gazing down at the city in front of them. "You're looking at it right now. They granted me the chance to oversee the project all by myself. It's a new luxury hotel in the heart of Tokyo, and… and I'm planning to build my father's restaurant in it, too, so I can take on both projects at the same time. It's not going to be a walk in the park, but Hiashi-sama agreed, and while it doesn't necessarily mean I'll be leading the whole company or everything will immediately go well…"

Tenten's voice was laced with understanding. "It's a step in the right direction."

"Yes," he agreed, relieved. "It's a step in the right direction."

The corners of her lips twitched and for a moment she struggled with herself, before finally allowing a small smile that lit up the whole rooftop and chased away all of his doubts. "Congratulations, Neji."

"That's—" he was so mesmerized that he let go of her, "That's the first time you actually smiled at me today."

Brown eyes widened in surprise. She had not meant for it to be that way.

A slow smile curving his lips, Neji raised a hand to gesture at the building. "If you let me…" he began tentatively, hesitation flickering over his face as he turned towards her, "If you let me, I will name it after you."

The space between her eyebrows creased. "You will name it after me."

"Yes."

Her frown deepened. "You will name _a hotel_ after me."

"Yes."

"Are you for real?" she asked incredulously, not quite trusting herself to believe the certainty with which he spoke.

Neji was beginning to look amused now. "Yes. Is something wrong?"

_He's serious_, Tenten realized. And of course he was. Hyuuga Neji would never joke about something like this. It simply wasn't ingrained in his DNA. _Oh my god, he's actually serious. _

She turned away sharply, unable to withstand the intensity in his gaze, but the sight of the glassed building offered no comfort from the heat in his eyes. Her heart tugged and she felt something inside of her unravel, give way. Of all the things she had expected from him, this was not one of it, not even in her wildest dreams. Of course, tonight seemed to break all of her expectations so easily, she wondered if it had been foolish of her to actually expect _anything _at all. To name what was or would be the most important thing in his life after her… perhaps she could allow him a little bit of latitude, just a little.

But not just yet.

"If you're expecting me to melt into a puddle of goo right about now," she murmured, still not looking at him, "You should try harder."

His chuckle was rich and low. "I wasn't expecting that."

"But you're expecting _something_."

"Yes," Neji agreed easily. "I'm expecting something."

Tilting her chin up, she crossed her arms over her chest. "What is it that you expect, then, Neji?"

A rare smile smoothed over his lips at the challenge in her tone as every nerve in his body burned with recognition. _This_ was Tenten; stubborn, self-assured Tenten, who was so kind and so reliable and so supportive she sure as hell deserved a thousand times better than the man he was. Tenten, who had alwaysstood behind him while he fought to prove himself to people who in the end didn't matter as much as she did. Tenten, who had seen him at his worst, but had given him another chance all the same.

Tenten, who was everything he wanted and everything he needed and everything he—oh, god—_loved_.

The thought came crashing down at him even as he held himself perfectly still under the sky, almost as strong as a physical blow.

He loved her. Oh, he had known this, had accepted this—but he wasn't aware that he loved her _this much_.

He loved her with the kind of love that was like quicksand, the kind of love that was shattered and seared and singed, the kind of love that drank them in slowly, slowly, slowly, until it enveloped them so completely nothing else mattered. It was the kind of love people talked about in old stories, the kind of love that music tapes could never fully encompass, the kind of love that was all too fervent, all too desperate, all too raw.

The kind of love that was, above all else, real.

_What it is that you expect, then, Neji?_

"I expected myself to make a grand gesture," he said, suddenly breaking the silence between them. "I expected myself to deliver a speech so thoughtful it would move you." A smile tugged on the corners of his lips, small and slow but there all the same. "I expected myself to look so spontaneous that you would forgive me on the spot." The smile widened into an incorrigible grin, his white eyes brilliant with mischief. "But I guess tonight is just not the night for expectations. I can't seem to remember anything I planned even though I rehearsed it three times. So I guess I should just… tell you."

"Tell me," Tenten echoed. "Tell me what?"

And just like that, Neji admitted the very thing that, he hoped, would be enough for what was to come:

"I love you, Tenten."

It was like watching a slow-motion movie: her lips parted, bafflement stealing into the brown depths of her eyes as she made a sound of surprise—but he wasn't done speaking.

"I love you," he repeated fiercely. "You make me want to be better, not just for myself but also for you, so I could deserve you. You make me want to live, not the kind of life that involves only working and working and working and proving myself to people who I don't really care about, but the kind of life that has more in it. You make it possible, you make my dreams possible. Hell, you make _me_ possible." He stepped forward and reached for her hand. "I love you," he whispered, "and I will do anything to prove that if you need me to."

"_Neji_."

"Look at me," he breathed. Her chin was upwards and her gaze had fallen on his face, but she was looking anywhere but his eyes, hiding in the shadow of the skyscrapers. "Just… look at me, please."

The sincerity in his voice pulled her in, and Tenten gave in, meeting his eyes as she shivered. By god, she did, and—and he was _magnificent_. A sliver of the glowing moon had sewn itself on his hair and his face and there was something lurking in the white depths of his eyes, something so strong and true that it ignited a prickle of heat in her stomach and whispered it spiraling up her spine. His eyes traced the lines and contours of her face, a familiar warmth rising in them.

And then his voice was soft, so very soft, as he repeated: "I love you, Tenten."

Her breath caught in her throat, and she felt something inside her surrender, open up like a glass prism, just like that, with one lingering thought:

He _loved_ her.

"I—" And all she could feel was this very familiar burning in the corners of her eyes. "I—I, oh, screw it, why do you have to do this to me?"

A surge of relief washed over him at her admonishment—it hadn't been a rejection—and unable to stop himself, Neji took her face into his hands. Her cheeks were soaked with fresh tears and absentmindedly he brushed them away with his thumbs, reveling in the way she felt, warm and familiar against his cold palms. She was looking at him in a way that made his blood boil, some of her tears clinging to long lashes and he felt a longing so strong within him it was almost criminal. Tentatively he tilted her chin upwards, his breath misting over her mouth, warming them.

He hesitated. "May… may I?"

Her response was to pull him down, sealing her lips to his so gently, so softly, so tantalizingly slowly it was almost painful. His hands snaked into the tangled mass of her brown hair as she stood on her toes and pressed into him, arched into him, wanting to be as physically close to him as possible. Every rational thought in her head scattered and vanished, just like that, as his tongue ghosted over her mouth, demanding entrance. Clinging to him as if for dear life, she parted her lips, letting him drown in her, sink into her. Every touch alighted astonishingly fierce trails of fire and silk under her skin, and it was without hesitation that she knew this as if it had been ingrained in her bones, only forgotten until this very moment:

_She was made for this man. _

And right now, right here… her every thought, her every heartbeat, her every breath was _him_.

Neji released her, then, their breath mingling in the space between. Still in a daze, Tenten buried her face in the crook of his neck. His arms curled around her body and she leaned into him, glad to find that his heart was racing just as fast and loud as her own.

When her labored breathing had calmed down, Tenten spoke, her face still hidden. "I love you too, Hyuuga Neji, you damned fool," she whispered, lips moving against his collar. "And you better make this all up to me. I'm not letting you hide things from me again."

"I won't hide things from you again," he promised quickly, all of his burden lifted from his shoulders as he tightened his embrace. "I won't. Not now, not ever."

For a moment she was completely silent, completely still save for the steady rise and fall of her chest. And then she pulled back, far enough so she could look at him but still so close that he didn't have to let go. She was unapologetically beautiful in the starlight, the gold in her eyes glistening with drying tears and a lovely red dusting her cheeks. Strands of unruly brown hair fell haphazardly around her face and he brushed them away, tucked them behind her ear. This last gesture revealed the single drop of silver half-moon dangling there, brushing the side of her jaw, glittering like a limelight even in the darkness. He reached for her hand and pressed his lips to her knuckles.

"I'm never letting you walk away from me again," he vowed, looking up into her eyes, something molten in the baritone in his voice, "Not now, not ever."

Surprise flitted across her face at the intensity of his gaze, but Neji knew her answer even before it passed her lips.

"Yes," she agreed finally, "_Yes._"

Her smile then was more brilliant than the moon itself.

—

**to be continued.**

—

Important(ish) things:

1) As **KarinNatsukawa** points out: "Neji probably reads Tenten's novels for ideas. CHEATER."

2) This chapter drove me _crazy_. The draft itself was 25 pages. So glad it's finished! I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that my brain will come up with something epic for the epilogue. Just one more chapter to go, now, so… uh. Thank you for those of you who have stuck by me until now!

3) I might need hugs. I'm feeling ridiculously sentimental right now.


	17. epilogue part i

Thanks for the reviews, guys. :)

—

**epilogue.**

_part one_

—

The airport was crowded, people swarming all over the place with their luggage, reunions happening here and there. In the midst of it all was Tenten, pacing around in front of the arrivals board worriedly. Every other second she would stop to glance at it, clasping her hands together before returning to her anxious pace, restarting the cycle all over again.

"Calm down."

She turned around and glared at Neji, who was currently standing three feet behind her, arms crossed over his chest. "I_ am_ calm," she snapped, her tone belying the very words she spoke. "I am the _epitome_ of calm. Calm _becomes_ me."

The corners of his lips twitched with barely restrained mirth. "If you say so."

Ignoring his teasing jab, Tenten glanced at the arrivals screen in front of them and inhaled deeply when she caught sight of the flight number her parents were on. It was now a matter of minutes before the 'final showdown', and she was jittery as hell. She didn't even know why. She'd told her parents (okay, her mother, with the hope that she would break the news _very gently_ to her father) about Neji and the older woman sounded delighted. And Neji was every bit the perfect gentleman: he was extremely well-mannered, not prone to physical violence or verbal abuse, never forgot the important dates, et cetera, et cetera. By all accounts this should go swimmingly, but—

Neji sighed. "Do you want to go over it again?"

"That would be great," she answered stiffly after a moment of silence. "Thank you."

"Sure. Your father is sixty, very traditional, and has an active ceramics business he built from scratch when he married your mother. He wakes up at fifteen minutes to six every day, weekends included, and always goes to sleep at exactly nine," Neji narrated easily, counting off his fingers as his eyes narrowed in concentration. "On his days off he likes to do some gardening or fishing, often dragging your mother into it even though she doesn't actually enjoy them herself," he paused. "Meanwhile, your baking interests come from your mother, and sometimes she would wake you up at midnight just so you two could bake. You're the closest to her from all of your siblings. The first year you moved to Tokyo for university, every week she sent over a new recipe for you to try out, and—" he stopped, noticing that her frown had completely disappeared, only to be replaced by an amused smile. "What?"

For the first time that day, Tenten laughed. She had sprung all of these to him over the last two weeks and again this morning while they were in the car. The Hyuuga had chipped in the occasional "ah"s and "I see"s, but she thought he was simply being _nice_. "I can't believe you actually listened."

"It wasn't voluntary, I assure you." His lips curved into a half-smirk. "I wanted to turn on the stereo but I thought it would offend you."

She nodded sagely. "Well, I _would_ have been offended."

The smirk widened. "Good to know."

Letting him pull her into his arms, Tenten felt her heart swell in happiness. It had been a little over a month since they got back together, and if they both survived this meeting with her parents and Kirika's wedding, which was three days away, maybe she could take him on a surprise trip. They practically lived together already, with her constant staying over at his home to make sure that he slept and ate well, but with the new hotel coming, Neji had been overworking himself as usual. But maybe with a short vacation, a two-day trip, he'd be able to relax a little bit. Besides—

"_Hayashi Tenten_!" a gruff, noticeably angry voice snarled from behind her. "What do you think you're _doing_?"

Recognizing the speaker, the brunette pushed Neji away, spinning around with dread. Sure enough, it was her father, face flushed with blazing fury, glaring daggers at the man who had been holding her just a second ago. Her mother stood there solemnly next to him, a hand over her mouth, shoulders shaking with what Tenten suspected was restrained laughter.

"Mama," she murmured weakly, offering a smile that was too cheerful to be sincere, "Papa. W-welcome to Tokyo!"

—

Thirty minutes and an earful about public displays of affection later, Tenten found herself wedged between her very amused mother and three hard, bulky suitcases in the backseat of Neji's car. Her father was sitting at front, _still_ continuing his lecture as Neji drove in silence, his face the very definition of expressionless.

"You are enjoying this, aren't you," she hissed at the woman who gave birth to her. Hayashi Yun's grin had not once disappeared, even as she "oh"ed and "ah"ed and made placating comments as if she had been very intently listening. It was a skill Tenten had yet to fully master, even if Yun had shared her secret. _You don't have to really listen to what they're saying, Tenten_, she had said the day Tenten left for university. _Just repeat the last word you hear, but as a question_.

"Perhaps a little more than I should have," Yun whispered in return. "I was just reminded of how _my_ father reacted when he met your father for the first time. Of course, back then people were more conservative and holding hands was practically a taboo." She was silent for a while, brown eyes glimmering with mirth. "I have to say, Tenten, your father was not nearly as handsome as Neji-kun is."

Tenten's eyes narrowed. "Don't say that in front of Papa."

"Go to jail, honey? Are you sure?" Yun gasped to the front, and then turned to Tenten, lowering her voice. "I say what I want to say."

"Yes!" Hayashi Shihei was no less livid than he had been in the airport. "They all should go to jail! It's the only punishment for people who are…" he stopped, glaring at his daughter. "Tenten, _listen_! I'm trying to defend your honor! I'm trying to protect your virtue! I'm trying to—"

Unable to pretend any longer, Tenten sighed. "I got it, I got it."

Shihei narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her. "Are you sure?"

"Very sure."

The frown didn't disappear, but at least it was quiet. _Blessed silence_, Tenten thought, with all her might pushing one of the luggages to the side. It had been digging into her shoulder, and the last thing she needed right now was a bruise; her bridesmaid's dress was off-shoulder and—

"I apologize."

Unexpectedly, that had come from Neji. Both Shihei and Yun paused to look at him with suspicion and surprise respectively. White eyes meeting Tenten's for a split second in the rearview mirror, his lips curled into a smile of ruefulness.

"It will be my greatest happiness if you will allow me the chance to leave a better impression," he said, his voice dipping low and deep with respect, "Shihei-san, Yun-san. I promise that I have no intention to… to _defile_ Tenten, to borrow your term—"

"Any more than you already have," Shihei interrupted.

Tenten gasped in disbelief. "Papa!"

But Neji simply echoed, "Any more than I already have."

"Neji!" Tenten gasped again, but this time he caught her gaze through the mirror, and she sighed in defeat. To her father she murmured: "Please?"

A few moments of tense silence passed as Shihei glared at Neji before the older man finally sighed, the frown between his brows loosening. "Fine," he conceded. "Fine. One more chance—but only if you promise to keep your hands off her until the wedding. That is," a triumphant grin curled his lips, "Until _you two_ are promised to be married."

"Of course," Neji agreed easily.

Tenten wanted to scream, except that Yun was shaking her head, a hand clamped over her daughter's lips. The last time her husband acted like this was when their second eldest daughter discovered she was pregnant. Shihei had grilled their daughter's husband with questions concerning childbirth right down to the most gruesome of details for three days straight before finally admitting he was happy for the young couple. Yun had no doubt that this time would be exactly the same. If Shihei had been harsher than ever before, it was only because Tenten was their youngest. Still, perhaps it would make it easier on all of them if she were to lighten the atmosphere a little bit.

"Are we going straight to Tenten's home, Neji-kun?" she asked brightly.

Visibly surprised at being addressed, Neji cleared his throat. "Yes, so you may get the chance to rest… unless you wish to go somewhere else first, that is."

"Is there any massage places around this area?" Shihei asked, rubbing his shoulder as he peered at Neji challengingly. "The flight was too long, my back hurts."

Yun looked confused. "Nonsense, dear. It was only three hours."

"I'm getting old."

"Well, I agree, your hair says all, but wouldn't it be better to just rest at home?" she asked patiently. "You don't like massages anyway, you don't like the smell of the medicine they all use—"

"Maybe _Neji-kun_ can find me a place where the medicine they use doesn't smell bad."

"Actually yes," Neji put in before Yun could say anything, "I do know a place where they use special blends tailored specifically for each customer."

Shihei looked annoyed. "You do?"

"I do."

"Ah… in that case, on second thought, maybe I should just rest at home."

To his credit, Neji simply nodded. "Of course."

Straightening up on her seat, Tenten grinned and leaned forward into the space between the seats. "You should try it out, Papa. Maybe you will like it."

Shihei glared at his youngest daughter for a few seconds and then huffed. "Fine, maybe I will." To Neji he said, "Then take me there, young man."

He nodded. "Yun-san, would you like to go as well?"

"Oh!" A smile curved the older woman's lips, secretive but decidedly kind. "That would be nice, Neji-kun, thank you."

At her answer, Neji released a breath he didn't realize he had been holding, meeting Tenten's gaze once more in the mirror. She, too, looked relieved. Maybe this wasn't hopeless after all.

—

Neji brought them to a traditional-looking spa and relaxation center called The Konoha Gardens. True to its name, as soon as they stepped through the gates, the front yard proved to be really green and lush with potted plants and rectangular ponds.

A woman with blonde hair stepped out to greet them and introduced herself as Tsunade, the owner of the place and apparently Neji's new business acquaintance. Within fifteen minutes she made preparations, assigning rooms to Shihei and Yun and promising Neji that they would receive the best possible treatments. As soon as Neji signed the check, she left him and Tenten in a small, open-air waiting area, with a pot of hot rice tea and a message to call if they needed anything.

"I am so, so, _so sorry_," Tenten began when Tsunade was gone from view, "My father's not usually like that, I swear. I've never seen him act like this _in my life_ before. He's just being…"

"Protective?" he supplied when she trailed off.

"_Over_protective," she corrected, burying her face in her palms. "Seriously, when they met Zaku—"

He straightened up on his seat. "They met Zaku already?"

"Just once." Tenten noticed the expression his face. "You're not _sulking_, are you?"

In a small voice he answered, "No."

Though unconvinced, she let it go, instead focusing on the matter at hand. "Well, when they met Zaku, they weren't like this at all," she continued, fingers curling around her teacup. Lifting it to her lips, she took a small sip. "Come to think of it, they were very quiet, which I guess means that they never really took any interest in him at all. This might be a good sign, Neji."

He was still sulking. "If you say so."

"I do say so," replied Tenten simply, giving him a quick grin before she refocused. She couldn't believe that her father would simply ban Neji from "touching her"—whatever _that_ meant—until their wedding. _Wedding_! They only got back together a month ago, for heaven's sake, though discounting that they had been dating for around ten months. It was true that now she felt like she had known him for years, but surely…

Neji frowned. "What's bothering you?"

"Well… the marriage thing he mentioned."

A knowing look crossed his face. "Ah."

"Yes, _ah_."

White eyes softening, he reached out to touch her hand. "They really love you. I think it's sweet."

She smiled. "I suppose it _is_ rather sweet, isn't it? I'm surprised you of all people will say that, though."

Neji fell silent, looking serious all of a sudden. And then, as if it was completely normal, he said: "I figured that's how I'll act when we have kids, providing they're daughters."

Tenten's eyebrows rose. "We?"

He looked at her solemnly. "Yes, we."

"We as in you and me?"

Amusement flitted across his face and he brought her hand closer to his lips, pressing a very light kiss on her knuckles. "Do you see any other we around us?"

"Just making sure." Her smile was brilliant. "You said _when_, not _if_. Aren't you being too full of yourself?"

He gave this a thought. "Are you going to say no?"

Brown eyes glittered. "Are you going to let me?"

Neji was very, very quiet for a while, releasing her hand and leaning back on his chair to instill a safe distance between them. "I feel like I should just sit at least ten meters away from you if I want to keep to your father's rule," he admitted ruefully. "Even doing this makes me feel guilty. But for the record…" he met her gaze, something lurking deep in his silvery-white eyes, "For the record, of course I won't let you say no." His lips quirked into an almost arrogant smirk, "Not that you will, of course."

His voice was so low and husky that Tenten had to suppress both the tingle running up her spine and the heat that threatened to spill on her cheeks. Successful, she returned his smirk with one of her own. "I'm not going to be easy to convince, Hyuuga Neji."

"Believe me, I know," he chuckled.

"Of course," Tenten grinned. In the end, she hadn't let him name the hotel after her. She had no doubt that he would actually do it if she had said yes—he was crazy like that—but just the sentiments were enough for her. She needed neither a proof nor a symbol to trust in the way he felt for her and the way she, in return, felt for him. "I'm going to check up on my parents for a while. You should stay here while I try and convince them you're not a complete wolf."

"A _complete_ wolf? You wound me."

"As if," she scoffed. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

Just as she rose to her feet, Neji reached out and pulled her closer, so suddenly that she would have fallen into him if she didn't immediately regain her balance. His face was all serious now, no trace of their good-natured teasing at all.

"Tenten."

"Yes?"

"Just—before you go," he paused, for a moment struggling with his words, "Before you go, just for the record, when I… when I actually ask you, you _are_ going to say—"

She grinned a grin that was so brilliantly lovely it both lit up the whole pavilion and stole his breath, leaning down to press a slow, gentle kiss to his lips. The moment he pulled her in closer, however, she broke away from the kiss. Her teasing grin widened even more when she noticed the very slight pink tinge coloring his cheeks.

"Yes," she said. "Just for the record, I'm going to say yes. What are you, a fool?"

"Good." The relief was evident in his voice, and then his eyes glittered with a very male sense of mischief that, in turn, made _her_ blush. "Just for the record, too, I have never liked being called a fool more than I do right now."

—

Dinnertime came and passed, and Neji found himself sitting across of Tenten's father in her living room. He had offered to go home to let the family spend some time alone together before dinner, but it seemed like Shihei was indisputable when he persuaded Neji to stay. Right now, Tenten was showing Yun her bridesmaid's dress, leaving the two men to dwell in silence uncomfortable but not deadly, a feat that Neji didn't think would ever be possible since he was obviously so protective over his daughter and seemed to think of the younger man as a low-life cockroach.

In all honesty, Neji didn't actually mind. He rarely saw such a loving family and it was _nice_, above all, to know that Tenten's parents genuinely loved and cared for her. Furthermore—

"Hyuuga Neji. That's your name, isn't it?"

He snapped to attention, lifting his gaze to meet Shihei's brown eyes. "Yes, that's my name." Awkwardly, he added, "Shihei-san."

"I understand that you're from a rich family. Do you even work?"

Neji nodded. "I work with my uncle in the Hyuuga's company."

For the first time all day, Shihei's tone was somewhat approving. Somewhat. "A family business?"

"Yes," the Hyuuga replied, beginning to relax. This almost felt like an interview, and he was good at those.

"How old are you?"

"I'm twenty-nine this year."

Shihei exhaled. "Tenten's twenty-five. That's four years between you two. A good age difference."

"Yes."

"What did you do for her birthday?"

"I…" Neji paused, closing his eyes for a few seconds. He didn't want to lie, but the future was looking bleak if he did_ not_ lie. "I brought her to Mount Mitake and we celebrated her birthday together." There, a truth that did not kill him.

"She must have liked it."

A fond smile curled Neji's lips at the memory. "She did enjoy it, yes."

Shihei fired again. "How healthy are you?"

The question baffled Neji, though he quickly recovered. "Quite healthy, sir. My family does not have a history of diabetes or anything like that."

"Hm." Shihei paused, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back into a more comfortable seating position. Despite how he acted and how he was acting right now, he quite liked this Hyuuga Neji person. Really. It just wasn't his fault that, well, Tenten was quite simply his daughter and any man would be lucky to have her, and his job was to make sure that they know it. They _better_ know it. They better know it so they would never hurt her, so they would make her happy, so they would cherish her and care for her and most of all _love_ her; now too, but especially later when he and Yun were not around anymore.

So then he asked, very simply: "Why her?"

Neji parted his lips automatically, but no answer came straight to him. He closed his mouth again though to his credit he looked neither surprised nor confused, just plain thoughtful. "Tenten…" a smile played on his lips, "Tenten makes me want to live," he admitted plainly, honestly. "She makes me see things from a different perspective. She makes me enjoy life. She makes me think that anything is possible as long as I am with her. " His smile widened slightly when he noticed Shihei's expression soften at his words. "She's also very, very warm. She's the kindest person I know, hands down, and I've never known anyone to be so selfless before her," he paused, meeting Shihei's gaze unwaveringly. "I can list to you all of her good qualities but I'm sure you would know them more than I do. I can only thank you for that, so… so thank you," he swallowed with difficulty, "Thank you. Thank you for giving me the chance to know someone so wonderful."

Unbeknownst to him, Shihei was inwardly cackling with relieved glee. But what _Shihei_ did not know was that Neji was about to shatter that glee in a second.

"If I may ask you something, Shihei-san?"

The old man cleared his throat and schooled his expression to boredom. "If you must."

"I… I would like to ask for her hand in marriage."

Shihei's eyes widened.

"If you agree, of course," Neji quickly added, feeling his own pulse quicken. He had never been so nervous in his life before, not even during the business presentation he did last month, and even _that_ was nerve-wracking as hell. Suddenly he was very grateful that he was sitting down because his knees felt like they would give away any minute now. He never thought he would use this word to describe himself, but right about now, Hyuuga Neji was practically _jelly_.

Thankfully, the dreaded silence was cut off when Shihei asked, "How did you two meet?"

"On an airplane," replied the Hyuuga automatically. "We were seated next to each other and… we talked. It was a plane from Beijing, actually."

"A chance meeting."

"That's true, I suppose, though that's not what I would call it," he allowed. "We met again twice after that, both times by accident."

"Lucky you."

Neji wanted to laugh. "Yes, I am that."

Shihei almost smiled. Almost. "You said you wouldn't call it chance." Loud silence filled the room, and slowly, slowly, the corners of Shihei's lips curled upwards. The old man actually _smiled_, and for a second Neji was struck speechless by how much of Shihei—of this smile, of this very man—that Tenten had inherited. "Then what would you call it, Neji-kun?"

The answer was, in the end, simpler and clearer than Neji had expected himself:

"Fate," he replied, "I would call it fate."

—

**to be continued. **

—

1) On Tenten's parents: "Yun" is a Chinese name which in this case means melody. "Hayashi Shihei" was an actual person, a Japanese scholar from the Edo period. Yes, Tenten is half-Japanese, half-Chinese, and yes, Tenten addresses them in Mandarin Chinese ("Mama" and "Papa") simply because she grew up in China.

2) Yun's advice, "You don't have to really listen to what they're saying. Just repeat the last word you hear, but as a question" is an advice I have practiced numerous times IRL. It works, guaranteed. 8D

3) You guys! I had so much fun writing this, I thought it was such a shame I had to end it just like that. So it seems like you're stuck with me until the second part of the epilogue! SORRY.


	18. epilogue part ii

I am so, so sorry for disappearing on you like that. University almost killed me, and this will be my excuse for not replying to PMs and reviews the way I normally do. That said, please do enjoy! This is the last chapter to this story.

—

**epilogue**

_part ii_

—

It was a good thing, Tenten thought as she watched her cousin massage her right foot, that Kirika didn't fall down and embarrass herself while she was walking down the aisle. No, it was more than a good thing. It was almost a miracle.

The shoes that lay on the carpeted floor next to Kirika's chair were white, silver-lined with stiletto heels at least five inches high. They also happened to be about half a size too small. Just before the ceremony, Yuuma's mother had slipped into the dressing room and handed Kirika these 'beauties', proclaiming that she simply couldn't wait to give her new daughter-in-law a wedding gift.

"They don't really fit, do they?"

Kirika shook her head and held out her palm. "Band-aid, please."

Tenten shuffled in the suitcase she brought and fished out a pack of band-aids. Now that the ceremony was over, the only part left was the reception, meaning that Kirika still had quite a bit of walking around to do. "You know, your wedding dress is long enough to hide your feet."

"Not gonna work. She's the in-law from hell," Kirika made a face. "She'll demand to lift up my dress under the pretense of complimenting my 'shapely feet'. Her words, not mine. She already said it twice today and we're not even close to being done." She looked longingly at her original choice: the comfortable white pumps sitting right next to the suitcase. "Shapely, my ass. At the rate this is going, my feet won't _look_ like feet for long."

Kirika was right. In fact, right now her feet looked more like hit-and-run victims of a very irresponsible driver. Not only had she plastered a band-aid on every one of her toes, there were also band-aids on the back of her heels. Band-_aids_, as in multiple.

"Maybe you can sit down," Tenten suggested.

"And have her think I'm rude and thus halfway to committing matricide instead? I'd rather murder my feet."

"There should be another scenario that doesn't involve murder of any kind."

"I'll survive," Kirika sighed, wincing as she put on the heels once more. "Just keep passing me champagne. It'll dull the pain."

"I'll see what I can do."

The brunette stared at the band-aids on her lap. "Do you think I can slip them into my corset?" she asked, tentatively fingering the cleavage of her dress. Her expression was serious. "I'm about _this_ close to—"

"Kiri?" Yuuma appeared on the doorway. "Are you ready?"

And _this_, Tenten thought, was the real miracle: the look on Kirika's face when she saw her new husband, and the way he, in turn, looked at her. Yuuma had spruced up a little bit after the ceremony; his clothes traded for a smarter-looking suit and his hair styled neatly. What caught her attention the most, however, was the grin playing on his lips ever since he and Kirika exchanged their vows.

"You look handsome," Kirika giggled as she took his offered hand, gracefully rising. It was as if the moment he stepped in, she'd forgotten that her feet was, quite literally, bleeding. "Very dashing."

Bad at compliments as always, Yuuma faltered. "Your… your dress is very beautiful, too."

"Only the dress?"

"No! I mean you, too, of course."

For several seconds both Kirika and Yuuma just stared at each other, smiling so widely that Tenten couldn't help but to chuckle. She tapped her cousin on the shoulder, making her jump.

"I personally don't mind leaving you kids alone to recite the lines of crappy, cheap romance movies," she said wryly, "but you two have about three hundred people waiting out there."

"_Three hundred people_," Kirika moaned. "We should have just eloped."

Quite morosely, Yuuma agreed, "We should have."

"Too late for that now," Tenten grinned, shoving a bouquet of flowers into Kirika's hands, "Now off you go—make your grand entrance. Remember to look to the front, not at each other, okay?"

—

A little later, Tenten found herself trying out the finger food one by one, inwardly complimenting herself on her choice of caterer. Everything they served was delicious; not just edible-and-enough-to-sustain-yourself delicious, but actually mouth-watering, finger-licking _delicious_. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, too—all in all a huge success.

"You should be handed a medallion," remarked Neji, suddenly reappearing next to her. He had gone to fetch a glass of water for her and returned with it plus a plate of daintily decorated bite-sized cakes. "Or maybe given a title, but here's hoping this will suffice."

Her heart fluttered at his thoughtfulness, and she grinned, taking the plate from him. "Thank you. This suffices perfectly."

His lips curving into a small smile, Neji suddenly reached up to brush away her hair, his fingers touching her ear. Immediately she blushed, knowing what he was looking at. Her mother had sat her down to give her the earrings earlier this morning, little silver pearls of full moons that glowed prettily on her ears. They were more simplistic in shape but when she put them on, they shone with a gentle kind of intensity the previous ones did not.

"You received them?"

"Yes," Tenten answered, wondering if, like she was, he was recalling their very first date and if he remembered the significance of these earrings.

_My parents had them custom-made_, she could hear herself saying to him, all those months back when they were just strangers having dinner together. _So far I have half-moons and these crescent-shaped ones. They're going to give me the full-moons when they think I'm ready. _

"They remind me of you," she admitted. "Of your eyes."

Her words seemed to take him by surprise, because the next thing she knew, Neji looked utterly lost, his silver gaze holding hers with some kind of odd wonder she could not decipher. And then, voice soft, he said, "They're beautiful." His lips parted and subconsciously she leaned forward expectantly, wanting very much to hear what it was that he wanted to say—before he finally shook his head, murmuring to himself: "No, no. This shall wait for later." To her, he asked, "What time do you think you'll be done?"

"Not until really late."

"How late?"

She considered his question. There would still be a lot of things that needed to be done even after the reception, she knew; things like making sure no one had stolen anything from the hall, tipping the caterer and the band and everyone else, and sending the drunk ones home. While Yuuma's cousins were actually the ones in charge of these tasks, she didn't think she could live with herself if she didn't see this wedding through until the end.

"Maybe three or four in the morning," she answered finally.

"I'll wait."

"You really don't have to," Tenten began to say, and then she stopped, blinking. "Oh, if you're asking to make sure I can get home alright, don't mind it. One of Yuuma's cousins has offered to take me home. He's driving everyone else home, too."

Stubbornness clicked on his jaw. "I'll wait," he echoed, although his face had softened. "There's… there's something I want to show you."

—

The reception ended almost six hours later, just a little after the clock struck three. Tenten spent an hour or so supervising the cleaning up afterwards, most of which consisted of trying to very subtly imply to the lingering guests that it was time to go home. If there was something to be said about tipsy relatives, however, it was that they did _not_ take hints well. By the time the hall was empty, she had almost lost her voice and her hair had fallen from its chignon over her shoulders in a haphazard manner. She couldn't really see it but she was sure that there was a wine stain on the back of her navy blue dress, too.

"I think I'll just take you home," Neji murmured when he pulled up his car into the lobby. "You should be exhausted."

"No," she shook her head. Maybe it was the adrenaline rush from both watching her closest cousin wed and telling all those drunk people off, but going home was the least of what she wanted to do right now. Not missing the concern in his eyes and the refusal that threatened to spill from his mouth, she curled her lips into a bright smile and reassured him, "It's strange, but I don't really feel tired. Whatever you want to show me, I want to see it."

"It's kind of… far away," he said. "It's probably going to take at least an hour to get there."

"That's fine."

"Actually, you can sleep on the way. Move to the back and I'll try to drive as smoothly—"

"Neji," Tenten cut him off, her smile widening. "That's fine. Seriously."

Still unconvinced, his gaze lingered on her for a few additional seconds. "Okay," he said, "But just for the record…"

"Oh, no, you're trying to make me sleep, aren't you?" she grumbled as he tucked his coat around her shoulders, making sure that it covered her almost completely. "I won't fall asleep, just so you know. I'm about as awake as a bat right now. Just—" she groaned. The coat was so warm and so soft and it smelled so much like him that she couldn't resist. "Just promise me you won't take me home?"

Amusement tugged on the corners of his lips. "I promise."

"Thank you. Now drive."

Smile still intact, Neji did. Five minutes later she had fallen asleep, clinging to his coat like it was a blanket. When she almost toppled over, he stopped to readjust her position, but never once did he turn back to the direction of her house.

—

When Tenten woke up the next moment, they had stopped and Neji was leaning back on the driver's seat, sipping coffee out of a paper cup. Dawn was breaking outside the dewed car windows, the sky turning a pretty, lighter shade of blue, and it was warm in the car. Carefully she brushed her hair out of her face. "What time is it?"

"Twenty minutes past five," he replied. "Sleep well?"

She stretched her upper body slightly, yawning. "Surprisingly, not bad."

"That's good," he said, gesturing towards the paper cup sitting in the drink holder. "I bought you coffee and there are croissants at the back."

"Thanks." Tenten rubbed her eyes sleepily. "We're not in Tokyo anymore, are we?"

Neji shook his head. "No."

She nodded at him, helping herself to an almond croissant, occasionally sipping her coffee. The silence was comfortable as she stared out the window, although all she could figure out was that they were at a park outside of Tokyo.

—

It turned out that they were taking a walk.

The air was cold but fresh, the wind gently whispering against her cheeks and flushing them red. Trees swayed in the distance. Still in her dress, Tenten followed Neji up the uneven stone path that divided the park, glad that he had made her trade her heels for his tennis shoes earlier on. While they were too big for her and she had to be careful with her steps, they were definitely a lot more comfortable.

Occasionally Neji would make an abrupt stop, scrutinizing a tree or two in their way before he moved forward. Tenten knew he was looking for something though she had no idea what, and he seemed so determined, she understood it was better to just follow rather than question him. At least he would always look back to make sure she was still behind him.

They did not walk for long, stopping in front of a large tree whose half-surfaced roots was almost completely covered in moss. The rustle of its green leaves was almost like a bird song in the silence of the morning, and Tenten watched curiously as Neji used his hand to brush them away from the bark of the tree that was on his eye-level. A little later he took a step back, smirking in satisfaction as he whirled around to look at her.

He offered her his hand. "Careful with your steps," he said, grabbing her by the waist when she almost tripped over a particularly hidden root. "Here."

She was half-standing on his feet, his arms strong around her body to support her weight. Leaning forward as he motioned her to, she squinted at the part of the tree he was pointing to. "What am I supposed to see?"

"This," he said. "This is what I wanted to show you."

And then she saw it, of course: the names carved into the bark of the tree so deeply that the skin had turned darker than usual. Rain had dulled their sharpness, but the outline of the shapes still remained. Her breath hitched in her throat as the characters for 'Hyuuga Hizashi' and 'Mizota Amaya' floated in her head.

"My parents met each other here," Neji murmured. "This park used to be a lot busier than it is now, and my father had never come here except for one day, not then in his life. That day he felt like it—just _felt_ like it—and he sat here, right here where we're standing now, when my mother tripped over his leg. That's how they met." He pulled her closer to him. "Can you imagine?" he asked softly. "What if he hadn't 'felt like it' that day? What if he hadn't come?"

"Neji…"

"I believe in fate, Tenten," he murmured, his voice still low. "I believe that you were meant to sit next to me that day on the plane. I believe that you were meant to come into my hotel out of all the other hotels in Tokyo that night. I believe that I was meant to run into you at the bicycle shop that third time."

At his statement, something in Tenten's heart constricted, a familiar burning in the corners of her eyes. Almost jokingly, she asked, "Fate certainly wanted us to meet, didn't it?"

"I believe it did," Neji replied, "And I believe that now… it wants us together."

With that, he pulled out the chain hanging around his neck. Dangling from it were a ring, small diamonds forming delicate, dainty wings around the band. It glittered with timeless silver under the sunlight filtering through the canopy of the tree.

"I rather fear that this is too soon," he admitted, though the baritone of his voice was husky, sending ripples of electricity dancing from the tips of her toes right to the top of her head. "So I shall leave it up to you to reply whenever you like."

His silver gaze slid over her face, so intense that she felt something in herself flicker and come to live. Just being so close to him made her skin hum and quake, and she knew—just knew, more than anything else in the world—that no other man would ever make her feel like this.

_No other man could. _

"Tenten—"

"No! Wait!"

Neji paused.

"I…" she sucked in her breath, brown eyes glistening with barely contained tears. "I love you, too, Neji. I know I didn't say it the first time, but I love you, too. So what it is that you wish to ask, what it is that you're about to ask, I'm going to say—"

"Will you marry me?"

"—_yes_," she finished. "Yes, of course I will marry you, Hyuuga Neji."

He took this opportunity to hold her even closer, as closely as physically possible, and cup her face in his hands. His gaze caught hers for a few seconds, winter rainstorms against earthly fire. He kissed her, then, his curved lips tantalizingly slow on hers before he grew bolder, more passionate. It was the kind of kiss that both made her heart flutter madly and her knees weak, the kind of kiss that stole her breath, the kind of kiss that promised not nonsense but something else:

Something _real_.

Something, she understood, that would fight for forever.

When they pulled apart, he freed the ring and slid it onto her finger. It was still warm with their hearts.

—

**end.**

—

1) I made up Neji's mother's name just because. As always, it has a special meaning, too. 'Hizashi' means 'rays of the sun', while 'Amaya' means 'night rain'. Take it however you want it.

2) (Perhaps) sadly, as of right now, I have no plans on writing anything for the Naruto fandom. I'm not going to lie, though, I have been… _charmed_, shall we say, by people better left unnamed, to write things I have no plans for before—so this might just be for now. :p

3) This is the last chapter of this story, and because of that, I would really, really appreciate honest feedback instead of just silent favorites or alerts. Pretty please with lots of cherries on top? (:

4) Thank you so, so very much for those of you who have stuck from the beginning until the end, especially those who have indulged me by leaving me very kind reviews and then answering to my replies of those reviews. You have no idea how much your support means to me!


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